A new life
by rcopher01
Summary: Ranma takes control of his life to try and end the chaos, nothing goes as planned
1. Chapter 1

Ranma sat on the roof of the Tendo house doing something he rarely did, deep thinking. Before he even had a chance to cool down from the disaster at the cursed springs, the idiot duo, aka Genma Saotome and Soun Tendo, ambush him and Akane with a surprise wedding. Of which he might have actually gone through with but for all the uninvited guest.

The trip back from china had actually been nice, Akane and he had talked, without yelling or name calling or mallet-sama, and he saw the cute girl, no lady that Akane could be when she wasn't trying to hide her feelings. But after a dozen explosions, a crazy kendoist, a crazier gymnast, an amazon, a perverted master and other miscellaneous craziness, they were back to yelling, name calling and (sigh) mallet-sama. This is where Ranma had his epiphany, if a life and death battle with a self-proclaimed phoenix god didn't change things, NOTHING WILL.

A wise master Ranma once had told him, "If one wants to master the martial arts, one must first master themselves." And Ranma was a master was himself, which meant Ranma knew himself, better than most would think, he knew was a jerk at times, but being raised by Genma it was simply how he knew to interact with people, he could be very arrogant, but when it came to martial arts he had a right to be didn't he? After ten years of training on the road and a year in the martial arts pressure cooker known Nerima, oh yes, he more than had the right. He could also admit to himself that he had soft side and NOT just because of the curse. After ten years on the road his father could no longer disappoint or hurt him, he long ago lost any respect, love or even a positive feeling toward his father. His mother on the other hand, being ten years separated, was a whole different kettle of fish. After rediscovering her, his heart had done flip flops with hope and happiness, thinking here is a parent that might love, and care and maybe, just maybe provide a warm and caring environment. Where insults where few, feelings mattered and maybe hear "I love you." Once in a while. But reality had turned out much colder than his bright and warm hopes. The mother he didn't know turned out to have a twisted sense of honor, one that might demand she kill her only child if said child didn't meld with her equally twisted ideal of "manliness". In short his hope had been shot, stabbed and buried in shallow grave.

All this deep introspection brought him back crux of the matter, he knew himself, so he knew he couldn't stand much more of the way things were. Things had to change! Standing he know had a purpose, he was going stop ALL of chaos in his life. He was going to stop the fiancées!

But first he needed to train. He needed to visit someone first.

END

As she sat at her desk looking over cost estimates Nabiki knew she had miscalculated badly. While most times she would deny any miscalculation to her dyeing breath, it was a little hard to miss the damage to the dojo or actually what was left of the dojo. Looking at the cost to repair the dojo alone verses what she sold in tickets, tapes and selling wedding gifts left her at large deficit. A wince crossed her features at the thought that, that didn't even include damages to the house, lawn, privacy wall, and gown and tux rentals. All in all she'd be down ATLEAST 500,000 yen. While the amount was staggering her professional mind went into defcon 1 mode. She still had steady income coming in, good that's for food and utilities. Going to have work the Kuno money machine extra this month, and going to have to call in most her markers with the clubs at school. That….her internal dialog was cutoff with a rapping at her door.

"Go away!" she had all the trouble she needed at the moment. But of course the door opens anyway.

"Wassup Nabs?"

"Entertaining clueless martial artist apparently." She closes her books and looks at Ranma with her best Ice Queen mask. "Time is money, Saotome, What do you want?" A cold breeze blew across her at that moment and she couldn't help but shiver. She looked from her closed window back to the pigtailed boy and wondered if this was the "soul of ice" she'd heard about? However none of her doubt showed on her face.

"You mean besides a reason for why you ruined your sister's wedding, for why you sabotage the happiness of the people around you?" He let that sink for a moment and was surprised to maybe see a crack in her ice queen façade before it quickly went back in place. He knew it was a risk coming on the offensive, after all his school taught that you let your opponent make the first move. But he quickly moved on. "Never mind I'm sure you had your own reasons, whatever they may be. I'm here to sell you something Nabs and I think it's very valuable."

Nabiki knew a sales pitch when she heard one and this was a good one! Oh she was sure that he was upset about the wedding but the first questions and insult was meant to make her feel guilty and make her emotions come to the for front to get more money out her. With more than a little respect and resentment it worked, a little. "What prey tell would a poor martial artist like your self have that I would be interested in? Last I checked you don't carry large flawless diamonds with magical properties, or bags of gold. So get lost Saotome." She hoped that little ploy would make him give up whatever gem of information he had for free.

"I guess you don't want the information that could get you out this feces creek you made for yourself. I guess I'll go let all my fiancées know myself then. Bye Nabs."

All his fiancées?! News that affects them all and worth a bundle!? Her gut was telling her something very big was happening right now. First his aggressive negotiations now basically a "are in or out" threat. "All right Saotome, you got my attention, how much do you want?"

"Three…."

…annnnd maybe this was just Saotome being an idiot

"Weeks."

"Huh? Three weeks? Three weeks of what?" Idiot.

"How many training trips have I been able to really focus on my martial arts without one or more fiancées following me or pops or your dad? I want three weeks unmolested, all to myself. Nothing but me forest and martial arts."

Her hand went to her chin actually thinking about the largely rhetorical question. There wasn't a single training trip that didn't turn into a total disaster because fiancées or fathers or both interfered. But what struck her was the fact that even thought there was a massive amount interference Saotome still accomplished his training goal. If he could do that with interference what could he do with nothing in the way? The thought was almost enough to get her to do this for free, almost. Just to see what he could do. "OK what super move do you need three weeks to master Saotome?" After all he mastered Ki attacks in three days!

"None of your business Nabs. Three weeks for the information that's the deal." After all no need to give her more to sell or others details on the moves he was going to be working on.

"OK, Saotome let's hear it then." This better be good or he going to pay through the nose for wasting my time.

"In three weeks' time I want you to gather the amazons, Ukyo and her father, your father and mine and mom and of course Akane in the soccer field behind the school. I'll be picking a fiancée and getting rid of the rest."

"Whoa! No wonder you need the training time, it's going to be a mad house! So Saotome who's the lucky girl? Hmm?"

Ranma feigns thoughtfulness then leans in and whispers in her ear. Her eyes get big as saucers and her trademark cat like grin spreads on her face.

"Oh your naughty, and have made me very, very rich. Nobody is going to make that bet!"

"Our deal, Nabs, three weeks?"

"You got it Saotome, just one question. What are going to do afterward?"

"Worried about me know are you? (Smirk) I'm going to do something I haven't ever been able to achieve before. I am going to decide my own destiny. After that it's just details."

"You never cease to amaze me Saotome. You come up with this plan, a way to finally get your life under control, and you have nothing planned for afterward. (Chuckles) Go ahead get outta here you're going to need all training you can get to pull this off." Ranma turns around to leave but before he closes the completely he hears a barely audible "Good luck."

End

In a tiny clearing high in the Japanese mountains you can see a small one person pup tent setup around a small but efficient camp site. If anybody had followed him they would see a man possessed, and sometimes women possessed training from sun up to sun down with only short breaks for cups of ramen noodles heated over a fire. For the first week. In the second week had anybody been watching they would thought Ranma insane? In the morning he would hang from a rope and use a boulder hanging from another rope to smash against himself. In the afternoon you see him blowing trees and boulders and anything else he can see into oblivion with different colored energy blast. But by the far strangest thing happened after supper before the sun retired. Ranma would walk a short distance from his camp site until he got to a tiny cave. Beside the cave was a small barrel filled with fish. Ranma Saotome a one once in a generation martial arts extraordinaire, who has faced legends and not only lived but won! Nervously picks up a few fish and has to marshal all his strength and courage to walk into to this cave. The third and final week you see Ranma training in the previously sealed arts of Umi-sen-ken and Yama-sen-ken. Except for the last two days which were spent in rest and relaxation, mental preparedness for the tough times ahead. That is if anybody had seen him, but Nabiki had kept her end of the bargain no body spoiled his training and it had been magnificent.

On his final night Ranma sits by the fire and remembers all those nights on the road when he trained by himself and how peaceful it was while Pops was scamming somebody or drinking or more likely both. He realizes that even though he loves having put down roots and staying in a place long enough to get to know people. He just wished he had made friends. Oh he had few fair weather friends, like Hiroshi and Daisuke, they were good guys' just cowards and perverts. They ran anytime they even thought a fight might break out and tried on multiple occasions to talk him into giving them a peak at his girl side. No what he wanted were friends like Ichigo and Chad from those manga he borrowed from Akane when he was practicing the umi-sen-ken to use against Ryu Kumon. As he stared at the fire he wondered if friends like that actually existed.


	2. Chapter 2

Akane Tendo was not a happy girl, in fact it could be said she was 100 degrees north of furious right now, although that might be an understatement. First her pervert fiancé runs off to gods knows where for almost three weeks, now she hears from her own sister (money grubbing sister!) that the three weeks was a vacation she setup so the pervert could think about which girl he wants to choose to marry! The whole thing made her feel like she was a toy to bought and traded, which made her mad, which also made her think about her own sister helping, which made her mad, that made her think of the pervert she was helping… (An endless cycle of fury even the hulk would envy.)

Ranma made a stealthy approach via the rooftop of the school under the cover of the new and improved umi-sen-ken. And almost lost it when he got a look at soccer field below. The ordinary soccer field that had seen more martial arts duels than legitimate soccer games has been turned into a media circus. That's circus with a capital gold plated "C", wait are those TV cameras?! Make that a solid gold "C". Ranma reminded himself to never underestimate Nabiki Tendo. What use to be a few tiny benches scattered about to allow the friends and family of the players to watch soccer, where now honest to god stadium seating. Lines had been painted on the field separating the field into pie segments with each party involved in his life with their own segment. If that wasn't symbolic he didn't know what was, everybody wanted their finger in his pie. Soon, if he sticked to the plan it would be over and he'd have peace. Until then he might as well give them a show, after all Nabs gave him his three weeks.  
Everybody in Nerima knew Ranma Saotome in some form or another, most of the food venders as a red head, most of the gangs as a spirit of justice, most of the cops as a Good Samaritan, which is why they came. This had been advertised as boy/girl's last appearance in Nerima. Fans and foes alike didn't want to miss it.  
As the bell tower in the clock on the school chimed the final time for the four o'clock hour a swirling mass of energy appeared in dead center of the soccer field. It looked like an angry knot of yellow energy that pulsed left and right, murmurs could be heard worrying of an explosion others were fascinated by swirling shades of yellow. As the wobbling grew worse everyone could tell it was becoming unstable until finally…POP. A massively anti-climactic pop, like that heard from bubble gum is heard revealing a very familiar pig tail boy wearing his trademark red and black silks and sunglasses…..?

Simultaneous shouts of "Ranchan!", "Airan!", "Pervert!", "Boy!" After which you hear the ear piercing screech of microphone feedback. As everyone looked for the source of one of the worst noises known to mankind, they found it in one Nabiki Tendo standing on a raised platform wearing what can only be described as a ring master's uniform, tailored for her form.  
Ranma sweat dropped, it really is a circus! When the feedback stopped Nabiki started;

"Welcome everyone to Ranma's farewell fight! Be sure to place your bets with any of the girls wearing the black and white strips. Wave your hands girls, their they are. Also be sure you buy concessions from any of the four convenient booths set up at east, west, north and south corners of the field. And don't forget a souvenir of this once in lifetime event.  
Now to introduce the players, we will start in the order requested by Ranma himself. In the pie slice right in front of the guest goal are the Chinese amazons Led by Elder Matriarch Cologne and her great grand-daughter Shampoo. To their left is the Kuonji Clan Head and Grandmaster of Okonomiyaki style of martial arts, Gorjin* Kuonji. With him is his daughter Ukyo Kuonji. For those of you who didn't buy programs, she is one of Ranma's fiancées. To their left is Soun Tendo, Master of the Tendo branch of Anything Goes Martial arts. With him are Akane Tendo, heir to the Tendo Style and also a fiancée. To their left are Ranma's parents Genma and Nodoka Saotome. Genma is the Master of the Saotome branch of Anything Goes Martial Arts. To their left is special unplanned guest, the Grandmaster of Anything Goes Martial Arts, Happosai. Now Ranma confronts each group in the order they were introduced. Enjoy the show!

Ranma takes a moment to observe each party in question. The amazons are stoic as usual but he was sure he could see something resembling a smile on the old hag at the nice introduction. Mr. Kuonji looks angry and is staring daggers at Genma. Ukyo seems oddly comfortable, of course she did set up the griddle arena on her first day of school and made a very public challenge. Akane is pissed as usual as is Mr. Tendo. Ranma takes some pleasure knowing that Genma looks really uncomfortable at all the attention and the only thing keeping him from running or becoming panda or both are his mom's katana. Any pleasure from watching his dad squirm is lost when he sees his mom's look of disapproval. Happosai was a surprise but he seems to be enjoying the show while smoking his pipe. Didn't want to deal with him today, but if he is here might as well get it over with. Too late to turn back now. He gathers his resolve around him like a cloak and walks towards the amazons.

When he gets within about ten feet. He bows and states;

"Elder Cologne your people are amazing warriors and have done amazing things in developing the martial arts but I am no warrior, I am a martial artist, when I was young my father taught me something that is probably the truest thing he ever said, Martial artist train to protect those who cannot protect themselves, I would not be happy in a warrior culture married to somebody I do not and will not love. If you could cancel the kisses I offer this a scroll with my signature and stamp, offering my aid to you elder or anybody in your house on my honor."

The elder's eyes nearly pop on hearing the wording of his offer. A promise of aid to HER house in any emergency, not the tribe. In the world of warrior tribe politics she has not only just been offered the ability to secure her position for many more years, which has undoubtedly weakened since her stay in japan, but this would also strengthen her tribe in the eyes of the phoenix and musk, once word got around. But first protocols must be meet.

"As you said son-in-law we are a warrior tribe so words do little good if you flat refuse to take Shampoo as you're bride. Do you refuse?"

"Yes, I refuse."

"Then I counter offer, duel me per the rules of the tribe, if you win, I take your scroll and Shampoo and me go home. However if I win, you come with us." Win-win either way!

"You got it old ghoul, but before we start, I'd like two say two things. One I respect you as a martial artist and because I respect you I'm going to warn you." He walks close to Cologne leans down and pulls his sunglasses down so he can look over them at her. "I tamed the cat fist."  
Cologne can only stare as the teen puts his sunglasses back and he walks back to the middle of the field. She was three hundred years old and few things could truly surprise her these days. But this teen could do it on a seemly daily basis. Defeat herb sure, why not any elder in village could do that. Defeat the leader of the seven lucky gods most the elders could that. Defeat Saffron? Only herself and maybe one other in village could accomplish that feat and get out alive but not necessarily in one piece. Add one more amazing almost impossible feat to this list, just the usual for Ranma it seems. Only one other time in history has someone mastered the cat fist, and that legend was so old even they were unsure if she was a real person.

"…ogne, Cologne, Cologne, are you ready to start the match?!" Cologne cursed herself for being distracted, bad trait for a warrior.

"Yes, yes Miss Tendo. One second." Cologne pogoes out to the middle of the field where Ranma stands with is hands behind his back and rocking on his heels. Looking like he don't have care in the world. But Cologne knew this was his Saotome branch opening stance.

"Just answer me one thing, sonny boy, when did you start to master it?" He stops rocking and tilts his head like he is considering not answering. Then he takes a deep breath and answers,

"During the fight with Saffron I was using literally everything I had, it was a life and death struggle, before I knew it I had, not dropped but maybe loosened, the barrier between me and the cat fist. For the first time I could let it trickle out without going insane."

"But?"

"Yeah, but, (chuckles). But I liked the energy boost , I liked the way it felt. I have been wanting to see how far I could go with it, see how much I could use and even if I could master it!"

"It seems you have, young one."

"NO."

"No?"

(Deep breath.) "No its mastery is still beyond me, for now. That's why I wanted to warn you before we fought. I have the power of the cat fist but for first time in my life I'm lacking control over my power. (Scratching the base of his pigtail) I'm starting to feel like Herb or Saffron, all power and no skill, no finesse." Cologne considered his words and did an aura reading. Huh, that makes this an easy decision she thought.

"Nabiki Tendo, I forfeit this match. I take Ranma's offer of alliance and cancel the kisses."

"Thank god I don't have marry you anymore, Ranma. No offence." Ranma does a double take and points an accusing finger with his pigtail standing straight out.

"I knew it! I knew it! You just spoke perfect Japanese. The ditzy thing was an act! I knew there was no way you could track us across all china and half of japan and be that ditzy!"

"You do realize that it's not that hard to track a Japanese girl with flame red hair traveling with a 300 pound panda?"

"Yeah well when you say it like that." Shampoo walks to up Ranma and leans in with a wink and says;

"Looks like you're the ditzy one." Ranma glares at her.

"Very funny."

"Yes, yes it was an act, come along Shampoo, Ranma still has several parties to address. As an ally would you stop by Neckohaten before you leave so we can discuss a few things?"

"That's fine old ha…I mean Cologne." Ranma watches the Amazons leave the field to head to seats that looked like they were being saved for them by Nabiki's podium. That went well, he hoped the rest did as well but he severally doubted it.  
Nabiki turns to the girl next to her;

"Hey Kidico, anybody bet the Elder would forfeit?"

"No, Ma'am"

"I'm sorry folks no winners, no winners on the Amazon confrontation. The Kuonjis are next best of luck to everyone."  
Ranma stares at his childhood friend and her bastard of a father who was so much like his it was eerie. Even knowing that his father had an agreement with the Tendos, he talked Genma into breaking that contract and setting Ranma up with Ukyo instead. Of course, when Genma ran out on their agreement he was totally surprised that Genma would break HIS agreement. Then what's he to do? Instead of writing the whole thing off as bad experience he makes his daughter dress and act a like boy while forcing her on a ten year training and revenge mission. This is a confrontation he has been looking forward too.  
Ranma walks over to them eyeing Mr. Kuonji.

"So Ranma is this why you had that girl drag me all the way up here. To get your engagement to Ukyo cancelled? If so, I'm afraid it won't happen."

"No that's not the reason, well not the biggest reason. You see when someone hurts me I'm big forgive and forget person. But when someone hurts a friend I get pissed. When my father took off with me and the yattie, YOU should have come after us. Not send your young daughter on a revenge mission. I asked you here to show you the error of your ways, barring that I'll make you see them."

"Big words for one so young. You do know that they simply do not give the title of Grandmaster away to just anybody right? But if I'm going to travel all this way, I might as well show YOU the error of YOUR ways." At his words most back away from the field as he and Ranma head to the center of the field. "So who starts this?" He ask as he unslings his battle spatula from the holster on his back.

"Age before beauty old man." Ranma gets the first hit in as he engages in the famous Saotome piss off your opponent battle technique.

"Cheeky bastard." Those are his last words before he streaks in for a beheading chop with the battle spatula. Ranma is surprised at the mans speed but he is still faster, he quickly ducks back and switches his momentum into a spin kick that he abandons three quarters of the way into in favor of a hand stand back flip or take the throwing spatula to the femoral artery that Mr. Kuonji pulled from his bandolier that is still gleaming in the sunlight.

"Unlike my daughter I have the strength to wield my battle spatula with one hand. But you have already learned that, there are many, many more things you don't know. Save yourself some pain and just marry my daughter surely she can't that repulsive to you?"

"Why does everyone I fight have to be so damn arrogant and mouthy? FYI Ukyo is damn cute but she is my friend at best and I don't want to marry her. So are you going to talk me death or fight me."

"If you desire your own destruction so much, so be it."

"Well damn are you related to Prince Herb that sounded just like him?" Mr. Kuonji growled at the infuriating youth and threw his spatulas to make Ranma dodge right, the same direction he was charging in. He takes a two handed power swing with the battle spatula designed to bi-sect the youth at the waist. Ranma knew what he was planning as soon as he threw the first spatula, he jumped in the air to avoid the swing and landed on the flat of spatula driving it to the ground with his weight. What he didn't expect was for Kuonji to abandon his weapon and use his left elbow for a hard hit to his jaw. Again he jumped back for space while he wiped the blood from his lip. "You know it's too bad you're not as good a parent as you are a martial artist. Funny thing is as good as you claim to be, Ukyo uses the exact same tactics, only hers aren't as polished or able to change on the fly as quick. Also it usually takes me a few minutes fighting an opponent before I get their style or tactics. But you're just a stronger more experienced Ukyo. I'm just about done with my warm up, how about you old man."

"Don't take me lightly!"  
Ranma just smirked, the same smirk all his foes have seen before their defeat. Time to put my first weeks training to use. "Full body chestnut speed!" He blurs into action quickly getting behind his opponent and applying a few hundred punches to Kuonji's lower back. Kuonji didn't even have a chance to turn his head before a white hot blaze of fiery pain erupted at his back causing him to collapse to the ground. "Are you done already?"

"Do...not .. lightly!" He quickly pulls two small dagger like spatulas from his belt and begins wildly swinging at Ranma. Ranma dodges with bored expression on his face. After he exhaust what is left was of his stamina, he falls to one knee.

"You have lost, give it up already. Take what's left of your pride and Ukyo and go home."

"You...continue ..to.. underestimate ..me." Kuonji reaches behind him and pulls out a large cloth bag tied at the top. "Uyko still only uses training bombs, this my young friend is its full powered..." He is interrupted by a glob of ice encasing his hand and the bomb it holds. "You, you fool! What have you done?"

"That's my ice chi attack it freezes on contact and is extremely useful don't you think?"

"The bomb is armed and is going to explode!" Ranma's eyes get huge at the news. Ukyo is shocked as well. She screams;

"Do something Ranma!"

"Why do I always have to rescue my enemies?" He ask no one in particular. "Hold still ya old fart."  
Mr. Kuonji sees something flash at the end of Ranma's hands but he finds whatever it is hard to make out. Ranma holds his right hand parallel to Kuonji's bomb laden one. Once he starts moving his hand forward Kuonji can see the flash of claws at the end of Ranma's fingers and they were cutting the rock hard ice like a hot knife through butter. The only reason he was going slowly was to avoid cutting his hand or setting off the bomb.  
Once the last bit ice was cut Ranma pulled the bomb away and took a step back. Looking close he saw the, tell, tell signs that an explosion was imminent. It may have been bigger but it was built just like Ukyo's. He had no idea of the explosive yield so he needed to get as far away as possible. The super combat computer that is Ranma's brain instantly came up with a solution. The pool! The water would absorb most of the energy of the blast. Unfortunately it was directly on the other side of the school. Drawing on his considerable power he takes a running leap making it half way up the school in single bound and to the roof in a second leap. Using all his speed apparently wasn't enough, three quarters of the way across the roof of the school the bomb detonates with enough force to send school debris raining down on the crowd. For the first time ever the students of Furinkan were thankful for the crazy coconut tree headed principle that loves pineapple shaped explosives. Through sheer will to live they had almost instinctively learned to take cover and how to avoid shrapnel. So even though this was a bigger explosion than they were used to, there was surprisingly few injuries and the injuries that did occur, were minor. It took several minutes for the dust to clear and many more for everyone to settle down and take stalk of themselves and those around them.  
A panicked looking girl came running up to Nabiki from having been ordered to check on Ranma. To keep the show going of course, no other reason. When she got back to Nabiki, she was yelling at some poor boy with thick glasses to get the sound back on. When she finally noticed her she didn't like the look on her face. "What's the damage Cindy?"

"It's…bad boss." Nabiki raised an eyebrow at how she said "bad".

"How bad?"

"The side of the school facing the pool has only one floor left and I didn't find any sign of Ranma."

"Ok first things first, start taking bets on who thinks Ranma is dead. Second make sure nobody leaves, and third make sure the cops get a free copy of one our tapes so they know who blame for that mess."  
Cindy being mostly used to her boss by now was not a bit thrown by her orders except for one part. "umm…boss aren't you worried about Ranma?" She expected some sort of rebuke for asking, but she thought Nabiki liked him, at least a little. What she did not expect was an honest laugh. Nabiki "Ice Queen" Tendo, laughing!

"No Cindy I'm not a bit worried. Ranma once had an entire MOUNTAIN dropped on him, a bit of the school won't be a problem. In fact I suspect he's already outta there and just waiting for Kuonji there to start bragging before he shows. No go get those bets and don't forget the tape."

"I don't think the tape will be necessary boss, see that section of the stands next to the doughnut stand. Those are all cops!"

"Good that makes it easier for us, now go, Cindy get those bets!"

"See that Ukyo that is how you deal with trash."

"You do know it's not over, right? Father?

"Of course it's not they have to dig his crushed remains out of the school and declare me the official winner, then it is over."  
Ukyo just shakes her head and mutters something that sounds suspiciously like jackass under her breath.  
Not a moment after, just as Nabiki predicted, Ranma jumps from the roof of the school back into his center position on the field, though a little worse for wear. All of his, no her clothes were singed and even had holes burned threw in places. Even her hair was singed and sticking out in all directions, which created the effect of an angry red halo around her face. Combined with her angry expression and her previously hidden, nearly glowing blue cats eyes, the red head was quit the scary sight to behold.

"You just made three very big mistakes first you endanger all these people with your stupid bomb, then it blows me up, third I land in the pool. I hate landing in the pool. You're in for a world of hurt."

"Please you must be injured after that, I'll take…" that was as far he got before Ranma used a judo throw to get him in the air where the Saotome School of martial arts shined. Only the martial artist in the crowd could follow what happened next. First Ranma gave him a knee to the base of the spine to grant him more altitude and prolong his punishment. Then at chestnut speeds he punished all his pressure points with Ki enhanced punches. Then he used the banned Muay Thai move of adding both her knees to her opponent's chest and driving him to the ground. When the dust cleared Kuonji was only upright because Ranma was holding him by his shirt collar.

"Do you give up Kuonji or is your injured pride worth more to you than the use of your legs?"  
*cough* *wheeze* "Do your worst Saotome." Her eyes hardened she was preparing for another throw when Ukyo runs out.

"No Ranma please, I know you want peace, especially after the cursed springs and to my great regret the wedding disaster. I know he is a jackass and stubborn and an idiot, but I, but I still have faith in him. Please don't hurt him anymore and I'll swear on my honor you'll never hear from the Kuonji Clan again."

"You don't deserve her for a daughter you bastard."

"I think your right." And he passes out. Ranma picks him up and carries him to Ukyo.

"Take him to a hospital. Sorry I was so hard him."

"Don't be, he needed some sense knocked into him." As Ranma was handing Ukyo's father over to her. She leans over and whispers in her ear. "Thanks for stopping me…Ucchan." That causes a small smile and a nod of understanding from the young chef before she turns and carries her father to Tofu's clinic.

"That's it for the Kuonji's, the battle took a total of 5:43.7 seconds, if you have Ranma winning and are close to that time please come to the podium. Next are the Tendo's. Good Luck everyone."  
When did my life become entertainment? Whatever. I knew this would happen when I got Nabiki involved. Now for the second hardest part addressing Akane and the fathers.  
Soun Tendo starts "Ranma this is a matter of honor you must marry a Tendo!"

"Whose honor Mr. Tendo? Pops honor? The way I see it he has none. How can he? Lying, cheating and stealing his way across japan, then when the cops got too close we went to china, and Thailand and India. In fact pops is famous, Nabiki once showed me a copy of his Interpol file. Pretty impressive, I didn't know Antarctica could issue arrest warrants. If that wasn't bad enough he engaged me to, I don't how many women…"

"32 women and 3 men."

(Twitch) "Thanks Nabs. Are you sure you want to combine our families, after all we would be sharing our family honor at that point."  
Soun Tendo looks around at all people judging Genma and himself and their actions at this moment and being the coward he is, bends to the peer pressure faster than the road runner on red bull laced with cocaine.

"Yes my boy your wisdom shines far beyond years. I now see it was a mistake to ever agree to pact with such a dishonorable man (forgive me old friend)."

"Riiiiight", Now for the hardest part, "Akane how do you feel?" The question seemed to sap her anger for a moment.

"I never wanted to be engaged to a sex changing pervert like you anyway!"  
After all the insults and small hurts even after I decided to leave I can't believe that still hurt. "Well then the Tendo pact is dissolved as well."

"Boy you get over there and apologize to Akane right now and agree to be her fiancée right now!"

"Do as your father says Ranma, it's not very manly to run all these women off or to run around in that body."

"Why do always call me "boy" pops? Do you have so little respect for me that I don't even deserve a name in your eyes? Not that it matters to me anyway, I don't really give a crap what you think. Mom I do want to know one thing would you really follow through on that pact you carry?"

She stares at him blinking like he asked the most obvious thing in the world. Like is water wet? Or is the ground hard? "Of course I would Ranma, honor demands it, if I find you lacking."

Damn, damn, damn, but I expected it, so why does it still hurt. Deep breaths, stay calm. "Thanks mom that actually helps me in my next action."

"Your welcome. Now please change. I don't like that unmanly form."

"Maybe later gotta do something first. Genma Saotome I challenge you for the Mastery of Saotome Branch of anything goes."

"HA! Like I'd let you. Especially right now with you being a weak little girl. HA! HA! H…" A dark aura washes over Genma at that moment stopping him cold.

"You forget Genma that Anything Goes has one rule and one rule only. No challenge can be turned down or you automatically forfeit. Do you forfeit Genma?"

(Gulp) "No, Master Happosai." Happosai draws his aura back into himself looking like he is doing nothing but smoking his pipe. Genma walks out to the middle of the field and takes a judo stance.

"Last chance to back out of this foolishness, boy."

"Like I'd miss the chance to beat you up Genma."

Genma charges in with speed belying his large size, hoping to end this charade quickly. Ranma was prepared and drawing DEEP on the cat fist. Genma went in close for a throw to send Ranma in to the air. Ranma was prepared for such a throw and reversed it and slammed Genma hard into the ground, into his own personal crater. Followed up by the double knee dive, driving Genma even further down into the hole. Showing no mercy Ranma goes right into his maximum chest nut fist pounding Genma 1200 times in less than 60 seconds. Ranma backflips out of the hole for a quick breather and for more room. He knew he hurt Genma but he wasn't down yet. Genma was a terrible person but a damn good martial artist. Maybe it was his newly acquired cat senses or his martial arts instincts he wasn't sure, but his quick dodge left saved him from a Yama-sen-ken attack from his father who no doubt used the umi-sen-ken to sneak up on him. He KNEW this would happen which is why he practiced both arts on his trip. He quickly brought up his own umi-sen-ken cloak. Then used his chi sense to search for his father and his imperfect thief's cloak.  
His father's cloak completely erased ones Ki, which left a hole in the ambient Ki that is all around us. While it took a while to perfect Ranma's cloak blends his Ki with the background Ki.

Their on the edge of the field, probably hoping to catch Ranma by surprise no matter where he uncloaked from. Ranma sneaks right up behind him and charges his soul of ice powered Mökö Takabisha. Wanting to end it quick, he charged it till almost broke his cloak then fired.  
Genma was getting frustrated Ranma got a few lucky shots in and then he goes and uses the thieves cloak. Didn't expect that or that Ranma could hold the difficult technique for so long. He may have under estimated him. Was it getting cold? Was his last thought before he was encased in rock hard ice from his chin down. For first time since showing up, Happosai gets up and walks around Genma like he is looking at Grecian statue of a naked lady.

"Forcing the soul ice threw your Ki attack, most ingenious my boy, and augmenting your power with the cat fist. There is no doubt, no doubt at all. You are defiantly the new master of the Saotome School." Happosai nods satisfied with his own judgement.

"No master, I won't allow it! The boy is too weak! Look he is a weak girl right now!" Happosai jumps onto Genma's frozen shoulder and whacks him upside the head with pipe to shut him up.

"He defeated you after already fighting once today. Fair and square so he is not weak. And as for being a girl, did I not teach those two girls that came by the dojo. I'm not the one who said that girls can't be trained, that was you two idiots. Argue with me again and I'll kick you out of the school. As for you Ranma,you'll see me in two years, when we battle for the title of Grandmaster. I think i'll finally be able to retire in peace. All my scrolls at the Tenodo's are yours to study, use them well, goodbye Ranma." With that Happosai bounded out outta sight, without even waiting for an yes or no from Ranma.

Ranma just shakes his head, great, just great, I got a fight for the grandmasters' title . Atleast I got two years. He looks towards the still froazen Genma popsicle. "So pops you still gonna insist I marry a tendo?"

"Of course boy! Its a matter of honor!"

"Figures, but I planned for this, between you and mom, this family isn't worth it anymore. So Genma and Nodoka Soatome, I am no longer your son and you are no longer my parents. I disown you and no longer will have anything to do with you, either of you. No I am not going ronin, I starting my own branch of the Saotome line. Goodbye and good riddance."

"Fool boy you can't start your own branch without the approval of a magistrate! So go ahead try it." Ranma thought Genma did an impressive job of looking triumphant while still frozen in a block of ice. Ranma simply turns and scans the crowd until he finds whom he is looking for. The elderly lady in the front row with snow white hair, was easy to find with her hyperactive granddaughter bouncing around on her lap. Ranma waves them over, causing the toddler to become even more active. The older lady slows the little girls pace by holding tightly onto one hand while walking over with a dignified grace.

"Hello Ranma, I'm glad you took me up on my offer to pay you back for saving Kirin-chan here."

"Its not that big a deal Kursage-sama, I'm just glad I was in the right place at the right time."

"Ranma-chan when a high ranking official says it's a big deal, it's a big deal. Not only did you save little Kirin from a stray dog chasing her, you stayed with her, comforted her. Then brought her home safely. Most people would have ignored her or turned her in to a police station. No you went and became her.."

"Onni-chan!" She screams her toddler patience comepletly exhausted pulls free and runs up to Ranma hugs her legs tightly.

"...onni-chan. Ranma you have rare gift, you have a strong spirit and big heart. Please don't change."

"I won't." Scracthes the base of her pigtail all embarressed. "So you'll fix my paper work?"

"Already taken care of Ranma. Where will you be moving? Because if we don't visit i'm sure Kirin-chan will run off again." Ranma rubs the childs head fondly. He moves closer to the older lady so the tv and audio won't pick up his speach.

"Somewhere in Minato is all I know for sure right now. I'll know better what kind of place I can get once I get my share of profits from this circus."

"Just let us know, but back to the point. I, Kimi Kursage Magistar for Tokyo and the surrounding communities declare Ranma Saotome an emancipated minor and head of his own clan, any objections. Before a certain a panda speaks, he should know I can press charges for any or all crimes I suspect him of and it could take years for the courts to clear or convict." A moment of silence passes quickly. "Good. So be it. Come Kiri-chan Ranma still has a lot to do."

"Can't we play a little?" She pouts and makes her eyes as big and brilliant as possible.

"No, now stop that we will visit as soon as Ranma gets settled." With that she walks away with a the pouting young girl.  
Ranma watched the people leaving, many stopped by to offer well wishes and good luck. A few stopped by and said they'd miss her. But most just left and walked away, much like she was doing she thought. She spared a moment to look for her mother but it seems she left long ago. Nobody even saw where she went. Abandoning her must be easy, she thought bitterly, if she could do it twice without much resistance. Ranma waited until Nabiki talked to her last customer before she walked up to her. "How'd we do Nabs?"

"Really well. The betting was off the charts, ticket sells were amazing. We actually ran out videos we have over 300 back orders. Concession sells were a little dissappointing, told ya we should have had an intermission. Here's your first payment of 100,000 yen. I'll depsoit the rest in your bank when checks clear. Also you can expect really good royalties for the next two monthes, but it should drop sharply after that. Overall, I almost wish we could do this every week. Kasumi called wanted to know if your staying tonight? You know she wanted to make a special dinner?"

"Thanks Nabs. No I think its best to make a clean break. Cause the fathers and tomboy will be their. I'll just come by to grab my pack and those scrolls and be on my way."

"I gotta stay and help the girls clean up so i'll say it now, good luck and I hope this was worth it to you."

"Thanks Nabs." Ranma turns hops to the nearest roof. He makes it to the Tendo Dojo in little time, jumps the wall and jumps straight into the guest room window. The guest room, It would have been nice to have a room he didn't have to share with the panda. Don't get him wrong he was grateful to be living their and felt welcome most of the time. But feeling welcome didn't make it feel like home. He thought about how dissapointed he was when he ask his mother about moving in with her and she denied him saying it wouldn't be manly to leave his fiancee. Ranma put all his possessions into his backpack, just realising everything he has in this world fits in a small backpack.

"Ranma?"

"Oh hey, Kasumi."

"Not leaving without saying goodbye are you?"

"No I planned on stopping bye to see you, after all your food was the best part of my day here. Not mention all your free medicial care keeping me together."

"Not to sound like Nabiki but it wasn't free, But my charge was your stories, I loved hearing about your time on the road, all the masters you had meet. Hearing about your lastest oppenents, everything you did was so exiciting, I'm so, so boring in comparison. Are you going back on road?"

"No that part of my life is over." Kasumi looks very dissappointed at that news. "Perhaps its time you make your own stories Kasumi."

"ME! But I can't, I , I"

"Why not?! Nabiki and Akane are grown they don't need you to take care of them anymore. As for your father, if he had his way you'd grow old waiting on him hand and foot." Ranma walks up to Kasumi puts his hand on here shoulder and looks her in the eyes. "Make your own stories Kasumi, make your own life." Kasumi pulls her into a hug.

"Thank you, Ranma. But I'm the wise older sister, I'm supposed to be giving you advise. (sigh) Nabiki called ahead, I figured you didn't want to go into Happosai's room, I found 10 scrolls that weren't, ummm about his hobby. Also don't tell Akane or Daddy but the Tendo scrolls are in here as well. Daddy is never gonna reopen the school and even I know to advance in the art, you need discipline, which she sorley lacks. Better they would be used by you than set on dusty shelf for a another 15 years."

"Thanks, I better get going before Mr. Tendo or Akane knows I'm here." Ranma packs the scrolls carefully into his pack and is out the window in a flash.

"So make my own stories." Kasumi has a thoughtful look on her face as she leaves the guest room, She thinks the house and her heart are alot emptier.

Ranma roof hops to the Nekohaten, wondering what the old ghoul wants. Ranma hops down from a nieghbering roof to right in front of the door. She raises her fist when the door opens on its own. Gezz dramatic much? Ranma walks in stunned that they changed the restaurant dinning area to some kind of formal Amazon meeting place in so little time. At the end of the room are Shampoo and Cologne sitting on large cushions. Ranma makes her way down and sits on the cushion that must be for her.

"Welcome Ranma, we won't hold you long but we just need to formallize our alliance in the eyes of the Amazon nation. Don't worry its a short cermony. We will drink tea while holding daggers to each others throats while Shampoo acts as a witness. Then we will exchage gifts and we are done." Ranma shakes her head at the violance the Amamzons have added to something as simple drinking tea. But she can't judge, she's taken part in tea ceremony battles and ballroom dancing battles.

"Let's do this." She picks up a dagger placed their for the ceremony and checks it edge. Its sharp as a razor, leave it to the Amamzons to have a ceremonial dagger you can lop your friends head off with. Shampoo serves them tea in a very prefessional way, using all the ceremony she knows. Once Shampoo sits back down it must be time to start. Cologne picks up her tea with her right hand and her dagger with the left, Ranma follows suite. Cologne places her dagger at Ranma's throat, Shaky at first Ranma, places her's at Colonge's. Colonge picks up her tea and drinks as if this where the most normal situation in the world. Ranma takes A drink, mmm, lemon tea. Cologne lowers her dagger and Ranma does too.

"See that was easy. Now we exchnage gifts, we will give you one gift a piece, and you will give us one a piece. Shampoo, you go first."

"You always wanted to know where I kept my bon bori. This is a scroll explaining the hidden weapons technique, it's yours."

"Wow thanks Shampoo!"

"Heh, your welcome thought you'd like that!"

"My turn, I know your curse has made it difficult to make friends. So I give you this necklace it will lock your curse in your girl form as long as you wear it. I'm sorry, we have never had anything that could lock your natural form. You don't have to use it. But I think you could use it to let people get know you and trust you before you reveal your curse, just something to think about."

"Its a wonderful gift, Thank you. Not saying I'll use it but, I'll think about it. I've never owned much so I don't have a lot to give. But I do have these, the scrolls of the Yama-sen-ken and the Umi-sen-ken. For you Shampoo the Yama-sen-ken, I think it'll fit in with your smash in the walls style. For you elder a more subdued but, powerful style, The Uni-sen-ken." Both amazons had expressions of awe on their faces.

"It it not good enough? I can try something..."

"Ranma! Shut up! These are excellent gifts. Thank you" Shampoo already had scroll unrolled and studing it.

"Yes Ranma it appears you have brouhgt much joy to my great-grand daughter and I have to say you brought me something I've not seen in a long time, something NEW. Thank you."

"Your welcome, If you don't mind I got a long trip ahead me, I'm got to get going."

"Of Course, Gods speed, Young one."

A red head bounds across the roof tops of Tokyo at lighting fast speeds. She was pushing herself at her best, it helped keep her from thinking about today. She got exactly what she wanted, she was free from all obligations. And all alone. Being wanted was a first for Ranma until it got to be too much. And the fact that none of them were real friends that didn't help. SHIT. Out of buildings! Gonna hit the ground hard. She reinforces her legs, knees and back with all the ki she can spare and smacks the ground in a giant cloud of dust. When it clears their is a surprised looking red head standing in the crater. Forgot about the power boost from the cat fist. Nice. A park, thats why she ran out of bulidings, its on the edge of the Minato ward, but it'll do. Camp here tonight, and explore tommorrow. Ranma goes about setting up camp in a corpse of bushes for a bit of privacy. As she was getting a fire going for supper;

"Ranma Saotome you've made my life hell!"

"Well Shit."

END Chapter 2

Reviews and Comments are welcome.  
*I made up a name for Mr. Kounji because I couldn't find one anywhere.  
This chapter felt like it took forever! LOL. I wanted to introduce the Scouts already, Ami especially. But needed to wrap this up first.  
Yes we will be seeing all these charaters again, I like crossovers that use all the charaters from both animes.  
If my spelling and punctuation looks like it took a nose, thats because it did. Word wants to error everytime I open my file anymore, but notepad will open the darn thing for some reason.  
Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

An auburn haired women sat alone at her table drinking tea and staring at an old piece of paper. She has been alone going on eleven years now, with just this piece of paper as a promise of child coming home. Is it possible that the promise that would bring him home also drove him away? Was she so used to holding the paper for comfort that she forgot to hold her child? She remembers how she treated an obviously lonely red girl versus how she treated her equally lonely son. She remembered hugging and comforting the girl and spending time with her, while she kept her son at arm's length. Damn, Hind sight is 20/20. To heck with tea this requires...something stronger.

Ami was getting annoyed, this has been the third youma attack this week. There was a distinct pattern, each within 30 hours of the last and all of the youma had the same distinct power signature. Which put together shows a new enemy is attacking. But her colleges refuse to believe her. Either out of blind hope it wasn't a new enemy or ignorance, she didn't know. But either way, their flat refusal to accept the facts put before them, put them all in danger, they should be preparing, tying to learn about them! Knowledge is power! As she roof hoped home in her Sailor Mercury guise she wondered when she lost the trust of her team mates or maybe it was their respect she lost. After all she was by far the weakest scout, so weak that in all but the most desperate battles she has been kept in the role of "support" scout. Scanning with her computer giving them the fine details and weak points of their opponent's. Long they have dubbed her the "genius girl", she used to think of it as a nick name, or a term of endearment. But as time passed she knew the truth. "Genius girl" is what they thought she was, not a friend, or colleague, or teammate, she was the girl they called for help with their studies. She never got called when Makoto and Minako go on their shopping/boyfriend hunting trips. Usagi and Rei often called her when they go places but they have that thing where they constantly tease each other, it just makes her feel like a real third wheel when they hang out. Ami was getting the same feelings she had before she became a scout, that constant feeling of loneliness, and isolation even in crowded rooms. At this point she really didn't feel like going back to an empty apartment. Her mom worked the next two days, maybe on her next day off, she'd ask her if she felt like a trip to Shibuya to do some shopping. She remembered when her mother worked almost constantly leaving no time for her, until THAT incident. Her mother never told her what she saw, but it changed everything. Not two days later her mom took her to nice restaurant and they had such a serious talk that it made the "monthly visitor talk" look pale in comparison. Two things about that night will always stick out in her mind. The first was what her mom said about her, "I know I have never showed you before but I intend to spend every moment we have together showing you how special you are to me and learning what a wonderful person my daughter is." Remembering that always gave her the warm fuzzys. But it was the other part of that night always gave her the chills. She had finally worked up the nerve to ask what happened. Her mom got a faraway look in her eyes, her answer was the worst case of child abuse she had ever seen, but what she said after that almost scared her, "Listen to me Ami ,if you EVER think that one of your friends or class mates is being abused, speak up! Tell me, tell a cop, call 911 do SOMETHING! I don't care what. Because if you suspect it and say nothing, I will never forgive you. Because so many people knew and did nothing, she died a horrible death." Her mom never talked of it again but she knew it haunted her. Maybe a walk in her favorite park might lighten her mood and get it off these dark thoughts.

Many would probably wonder why her favorite park was on the edge of Minato ward and the simple answer is youma. Their battles with the youma have turned all the nice parks nearby into warzones, complete with buckled concrete, craters and lots and lots of dead trees and foliage. As she was roof hoping she noticed something odd, was that a cloud of dust raising above the park? OH NO, not that park too! She whips her scanner and computer out, to check the strength of this youma before she calls for backup. She stops momentarily confused when the only thing showing on her scan of the park was a single human female with strong life force. Maybe she needs help? She makes her way to the park it doesn't take long to find her, all she had to do was follow the path of destruction. While not "five magical girls trying to shoot a youma and missing a lot" bad, it was not good. Some damage seemed random, like the odd animal like gouges in the dirt. Then there was, what almost looked like blast marks. She heard a noise that sounded like a yell and then wailing which made her increase her pace from a fast walk, while inspecting damage, to a quick jog. She would run faster but she needed to watch for obstacles like that broken lamp post and large crater that appeared in the sidewalk. Her vizier finally picked up her quarry on long range. She was a girl about her age with flame red hair and she was in rough shape her scans were picking up multiple contusions, two large cuts, and the one over her right eye was still bleeding freely. She had one, no two broken ribs a dislocated shoulder. What stopped her dead in her tracks where all the old injuries she was picking up, the mercury computer had cataloged three pages worth and was still going with no sign of stopping. It was obvious to her that this girl didn't need the help of a Sailor Scout but maybe a friendly face, especially a friendly face with a doctor for a mother. She put the computer on passive record mode just in case and dropped her transformation. The girls crying had slowed from Niagara Falls to a bath tub on full blast. As she gets closer she notices the red head is sitting in what was a camp site. The fire pit had something heavy smash it. The girl is kneeling in what she thinks might be a tent. There is cookware spread all over the place along with the girl's food, all ruined. Ami wonders if this stuff is all she had, but considering most people don't camp in a park, it more than likely was. Ami's heart goes out to her, she walks over to the red head and kneels down to her. Ami notices that she would be very cute if she didn't look like crap right now. The red head must have noticed her because she looks up and flinches then sighs and looks her in the eyes, "Just kill me 'kane." and starts to fall over but Ami catches her and lays her gently down. Ami pulls out her cell and calls her mom.

One Hour Ago

"Ranma Saotome you've made my life hell"

"Well, shit."

"Prepare to die!"

Ranma jumps straight up in the air to avoid the thrown 400 pound umbrella that came crashing down completely destroying Ranma's tent. Ranma jumps as far as she can away from the incoming attack.

"Damn it, Ryoga, I left Nermia, cancelled all the engagements. Go chat up Akane or be her pet pig, I don't care just leave me alone. I want peace, don't you understand that."

"I understand that need more than you know, but I also know it is impossible for those like us to ever have. But right now the only thing I care about is your defeat. Prepare to die"

"Just leave me alone!" Ryoga charges ahead with speed only demons have any right possessing. He catches Ranma off guard with a hard right to face busting open a bad cut above her eye. Ranma is sent tumbling across the park taking out lamps and benches along the way and a single tree less than 20 years old. Ranma finally gathers her wits and reaches down to the ground and extends her claws to max and digs into the ground to stop her momentum. Taking stalk of herself, down to one eye for the rest of the fight, bruised maybe cracked ribs, all in all this might be a fair fight now.

"You've improved a lot, in fact, too much. What's your trick this time? Super soba noodles? Magical tattoos? Magical girl underpants?"

"I already hurt you? You're weaker than I thought. I can't wait to beat you to a pulp."

"Not telling. That's okay I'll beat you like I always do. Just like I did when you had that stupid tattoo."

"Ranma you know full well I let you beat me to get rid of that thing!"

Ranma puts on a sickly sweet smile. With her best patronizing voice, "Sure you did." The lost boy whose anger was never far from the surface suddenly boiled over with rage.

"I will beat you once and for all!" Ryoga tries another speed attack like the first one but Ranma was prepared this time. But still surprised at Ryoga's speed, she barley dodges the uppercut Ryoga wanted to nail her with. While he was overextended Ranma nails his side with all the Chestnut fist she can safely do before he brings his arm down. What bothered her was the fact that he slowly brought his arm down and was completely unfazed by her attack. She jumps back and draws as deep on the cat fist as she did with Genma. Something is very wrong.

"Do see now, Ranma, you cannot beat me. I am now your better. I AM the best!" While he was talking Ranma was reading his aura, it was much bigger than it was before, maybe 5 times normal. But something was odd about it. It almost looked…fake, no artificial maybe. Whatever it was Ranma now knew Ryoga was definitely cheating. Ranma increased his power in the cat fist to 60 percent, the most he could do without getting flashbacks. (Shivers) For the first time this battle Ranma takes the offensive. She gets down on all fours and runs at max speed at Ryoga. Ryoga was surprised at first but his arrogance kicked back in.

"Bring on your most powerful ability, The Cat Fist, and see how worthless it is. Ha ha hah ha!"

Ranma continues her charge until she's almost in his face then disappears for moment for a second Ryoga wonders where she went until he felt pain at his back. Ryoga roars in frustration and pain. Not that Ranma did that much damage, Ryoga's breaking point training made his skin incredibly durable, but she did rake her claws across his back leaving ten red lines going straight across. Ranma's shock at watching the purplish material under Ryoga's normal shirt mend itself, almost cost her a back hand across the face. She gets 15 feet away from Ryoga before she addresses him.

"So how did you come across the battle dogi?"

"So you figured it out, but it'll do you no good. I'm fighting at my full potential. I AM the world's greatest martial artist now!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself pork butt, I beat Akane wearing that thing I'll beat you." Having fought the thing before she knew its weakness, the buckle on the front, give it a good punch the dogi comes right off. But unlike Akane, Ryoga is wearing his normal clothes over the dogi. Looks like her claws are getting a work out today. First Ranma steps back enveloping herself in the Umi-sen-ken as she moves.

"Teh! Those old tricks! I may not be able to see you, but with this next attack I don't have too! Ultimate Perfect Shi Shi Hokodan. Ranma had started to sneak around Ryoga when he lit up with the sickly green light of depression energy. What Ranma didn't realize until it too late was that Ryoga wasn't firing the energy he just letting it expand around him, further and further out. It expanded too quickly for her to escape the radius as close as she was. She was thrown again but at least this time she had warning and had reinforced her body with Ki. When she went through more trees and lamppost. Until she finally come to rest at the bottom of a fountain.

"Why does it always have to be water? I hate getting wet all the time, and I was already a girl so what gives!" She screams at the sky, of course the sky didn't answer the rhetorical question. Ryoga just watched with an amused expression.

"I'm really beginning to enjoy this Ranma."

"Don't get used to it pork for brains." Ranma's cat eyes take on a predatory expression. Pushing herself to her limits she goes straight in, destroying what she can of his shirt before having to dodge his swings. One swipe, two swipes, three, four, Dodge, one, two, dodge, one, can't dodge it! She tries to forearm block his punch but it is so powerful it leaves her right arm numb from the elbow down. He has her pinned if she drops her blocking arm she'll take a fist to the face, but she can't do much because she is using her left arm to reinforce the right so his fist can't come down on her head. Ryoga enjoys this for a moment before kicking her gut and sending her rolling again. Not going to be able to beat him with power, never could really, always bested him with speed. Just need more speed. As she was shaking the numbness out her arm she digs deeper into the cat fist, and got a flash of the pit. She tries to shake it off but the she more she pulls on the cat fist power the more she can smell pit, hear the starving cats, that's it. That's all she can take, she guesses it's about 80 percent of cat fist. She blurs into action, now she easily evades his hits and is tearing away at his clothes. Finally she can see the buckle clearly. She backs off, to get a straight shot, to get enough power to damage that metal buckle. Ryoga's original clothes are nothing but rags at this point and he rips them the rest of the way off.

"I see you still think you can win. But I've been toying with you. I been holding back while you have been using everything you got. Since I don't want you to get too confident. I'll show you the true power of the battle dogi." Again a sickly green aura surrounds Ryoga only this time it's a lot thicker, almost like Ryoga is covered head to toe in green slime. Ranma groans as he sees Ryoga's feet lift off the ground, everybody gets to fly but her. She wants to be able to fly, after all her school specializes in mid-air combat! But covering oneself in super dense Ki that allows you to fly has a major drawback, it's the perfect power source for;

"Hiryü Shöten Ha - Horizontal Blast" Ranma drops into the soul of ice in an instant and sends a mini tornado of cold that wants to devour Ryoga's heat and him. Once Ryoga is knocked out it'll be a lot easier to get that Dogi off him. Ryoga just smirks.

"You forget Ranma, I know all your moves! Counter Strike!" Ryoga sends a blast of hot Ki right into her tornado trying to send it back at her through sheer force. Now it was a dance of who ran out of energy first. Already taken damage and having not eaten since breakfast that morning not to mentation two previous fights that day. Ranma could already feel the contact point of the blast moving toward her. She knows if those combined blast hit her she would lose the match and possibly her life. Ranma Saotome does not lose! She turns her focus inward and feels the power of the cat fist inside her, it knows she is in a fight and is eager to get out. However she is reluctant to touch it after last time, she didn't need any reminders of the pit! But the deadly energies are closing in on her it was do or die time. She takes a deep breath and opens the flood gates. Time slows, the connecting point of their two attacks is just a few feet from her, but it suddenly feels like she has all the time in the world. She pours her new found reserves through the soul of ice and into her attack and the ice tornado swells, first 30 percent bigger, then 60, then more than twice its original size. It easily eats the fire attack now, following it to its source like fire follows a line of gunpowder. Just like when fire finds the gunpowder barrel, when the tornado reached Ryoga it unleashed all it's pent up energy. All of Ryoga's own power is sent back at him along with all of Ranma's, Ryoga barley avoids complete annihilation and is in for a long recovery, but the ancient cursed dogi is not so lucky, it is completely destroyed in the blast. Ryoga just hopes where ever he lands they have a good hospital. Suddenly the world goes black and white and she is in the pit again. No God, no not the pit! Unlike the first time she is acutely aware of everything, the smell of dead and dying cats. The smell of rotten fish. The smell of blood, the taste of blood. She is the little boy again screaming in pain as the cats attack whatever they think they can eat. She's the cats not wanting to hurt the boy but they are hungry, so hungry. She can feel his/her pain AND their pain and it is tearing her mind apart. She needs a calm in the storm to survive, she needs common ground. He wants out of the pit, they want out pit, we want out, I want out of the pit! The red head kneeling in a broken tent lets out a scream containing 16 years' worth of pain and frustration. Finally the tears come that have been denied since he was six and Genma tried to beat all of the "weakness" out of him. She tries to open her eyes, blurry from tears and feeling extremely weak and vulnerable which raises her self-loathing to unprecedented levels. Somehow she sees Akane right in front her. Having relived the worst moment in her life with some added mental anguish. The only thought to pass threw her mind and out her mouth, "Just kill me 'Kane." before the mental fatigue hits her and she passes out.

Ami tears off a piece of the red heads shirt and places it above her eye and applies pressure trying to stop the bleeding. Her mother has taught her a lot about medical care, so she knew that head wounds bleed profusely so she knew it was important to get it under control. She just hoped her mom got here soon.

Kasumi feels more excited than she has in forever. She has just gotten off the phone with an old friend of her fathers and he has agreed to her proposal. She would do some cleaning, cooking in exchange he would teach her his family art. Miyagi-Do is supposed to be a very powerful art, she remembers when they would visit her father and Mr. Miyagi would spar every time and he would best her father most of the time. Kasumi smirks at the thought, that this time SHE would have a surprise announcement at dinner. Which she better get started on. As she starts down the hall the phone rings.

"Hello, Tendo Residence Kasumi Speaking, how can I help you?"

"Kasumi-chan! It's Aunty! Can, Can you tell me about Ranko-chan? She is soooo cute isn't she! Don't tell Akane she's jealous. Heh,heh! Did you know I took my son dress shopping once? (Hick)" Kasumi pinches the bridge of her nose.

"Are you drunk Aunty?" She can understand Aunty getting drunk after today, but why call her?

"I may have drunk some sake, do you want some? It's very good!" It took a second for Kasumi to realize she was waiting for a response.

"No Aunty, Thank you for the offer. What can I help you with Aunty, I need to start dinner"

"Sorry, sorry Of course I just called to ask one thing. (Hick)" Another long pause obviously she didn't want to ask.

"What did you want to ask Aunty?"

"Kasumi, did, did I make a mistake with how I treated Ranma?" The question made Kasumi very uncomfortable she didn't want to hurt an already hurting women but the truth needed to be told.

"Aunty I'm going to need you to listen to everything I say before you hang up okay?"

"Yes, Kasumi."

"You made a lot of mistakes with Ranma but especially in how you treated his different forms was a big one. Because no matter the form it was still Ranma. But there is one saving grace. Which is Ranma himself, if find him and sincerely apologize he will forgive you." Another long pause Kasumi was beginning to think Aunty passed out.

"Do you think I deserve forgiveness, Kasumi-chan?" The question hit Kasumi like a ton of bricks, what DO you say to something like that? While Kasumi was trying to pick her words she hears snoring coming from the receiver producing a large sweat drop on the back of head. Hanging up the receiver she wondered if Aunty would remember any of their conversation when she woke.

In Tokyo general hospital a girl in an Okonomiyaki seller's uniform sits beside a bed holding a severely injured man. She has been replaying the last part of the fight in her mind over and over.

 _"_ _No Ranma please, I know you want peace, especially after the cursed springs and to my great regret the wedding disaster. I know he is a jackass and stubborn and an idiot, but I, but I still have faith in him. Please don't hurt him anymore and I'll swear on my honor you'll never hear from the Kuonji Clan again."_

 _"_ _You don't deserve her for a daughter you bastard."_

 _"_ _I think your right."_

Her dad saying he didn't deserve her was probably the best compliment she had ever gotten from him. It's odd how so few words could make her feel so warm. Many knew that Ranma was trying to get control of his life. But she KNEW that wasn't the thing he was after, no he was after A New Life. And maybe just maybe he gave her one too. As she smiles and holds her father's hand.

In the Tendo dojo the youngest daughter sits in her room listening to anger management tapes that Kasumi bought her. She wasn't really listening to them however, she was wondering among many things what Ranma would have done if she had told the truth at the fight, she was also wondering what life was going to be like when her eldest sister moved out, Nabiki would probably be moving soon as well, going to Tokyo University no doubt. Ranma was starting A New Life somewhere, so was Kasumi and Nabiki would be soon. Maybe instead of looking at this as a loss she could start A New Life as well. After all if Ranma could it, she could too.

Thank You to all my readers!

Kudos to Anoy-Mu-Su for noticing the referance to other Fan fiction.

Comments and Reviews welcome.

Don't worry we will be seeing more of the Nermia crew later.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

This feeling of slowly swimming back to consciousness was like an old friend, they been through so much together. If he had his way he would stay here, there was no pain here, no people here to hurt him. But hard, real world experience told him this peaceful place doesn't last, and he would regain consciousness soon. Annnnnd their it is, awake, yay (read with extreme sarcasm). Wait what? Something is strange. He opens his eyes, and sees boobs. Right he was girl when passed out, (not fainted, Ranma doesn't faint). But that is not what's off, he has awoke as her on many occasions. What was odd, all her injuries have been tended to and she was lying in a very comfortable bed. Not that she's been on many beds, this is a first, but she now knows why people have them this is amazing. So soft! The moment of bed induced euphoria is ruined by her tiny girl bladder. She throws back the covers and sets up, huh she's wearing a hospital gown. She looks around the room for her clothes. First thing see notices is it nicely appointed guest room with a dresser and large mirror. The head and foot board of the bed are metal twisted into fancy curly q's. The only other time she's seen something that fancy was during her stay at the Piccolet's. Ranma sees her pack siting in a chair next to the dresser, but her clothes are neatly folded and sitting on the dresser. When she picks up a shirt, she can tell from the smell that it has been washed as well. She wasn't sure who she owes for this kindness, but whoever it was she owed them a great deal. As she dressed she took stock of her injuries, ribs bandaged tight enough to hold them in place but not too tight. The job they did fixing her dislocated shoulder is the best she has ever experienced, it was barely sore, usually it stays sore for a week. The stiches above her eye were perfect as well. From the strong smell of ointment they put on her bruises, they wanted to help heal them as well. Increased pressure on her bladder was telling her to speed things along. She opens the door to find Akane standing their ready to open the door herself, looking surprised to be beat to the punch. Ranma tries to jump back to a safe position from the anger beast known as Akane, from pure habit of course, but even for someone with an acrobatics skill as high as Ranma's performing such a feat in a small furnished room is nigh impossible, also the injury handicap was very high. It also didn't help that she got her foot caught in the rug that lays in front of the door. So instead of doing the skillful back flip she intended, she starts her leap only to cut short by pastel blue rug with a sunflower design. With her leap cut short Ranma smacks the ground with a very loud thud.

"ow ow ow ow."

"Oh God are all right?!" Ami was surprised to see their guest up so early, let alone trying to leave the room or whatever she was trying a second ago.

"Ami what was that noise!" Screams a voice from downstairs.

"Umm, Red fell when I scared her?"

"Reds awake? Get her back in bed, I'm coming up!"

Ami? God she looks like Akane. "Look I gotta go to bathroom, like now, then we can do whatever, okay?" Ami nodded and was going to say where it was when Red was gone in flash. Amy's mom got to the top of the stairs and looked in the empty room and turned her "stern mom" look on Amy.

"Ami where is Red?"

"She said had to use the bathroom then disappeared." Ami shrugged her shoulders helplessly.

(Sigh) "Her pack and clothes are still in there so she's not going anywhere. Let's wait for her then." No more than few seconds pass till they hear the flush the upstairs toilet. They both watch a petit red head step out of the bathroom close the door and turn and notice them watching her. Ami watches her blush cutely before she bows and says;

"Ranma Saotome, Sorry 'bout this." Dr. Mizuno steps forward to make the introductions.

"This is my daughter Ami Mizuno, and I am Dr. Saeko Mizuno." Once formalities are out of the way, she goes straight into doctor mode. "Ranma if you would please sit back on the bed, I would like to make sure your healing ok, and make sure you didn't aggravate your injures by falling."

"Thanks Dr. Mizuno for your great treatment but…I…don't…" Saeko just gives her that stare that all adults know, that says you're going to do this. A professional as all ways, Saeko ask Ami to step out to give Ranma privacy. She ask Ranma to remove her clothes so she could check her better. Saeko pretends to check Ranma's current wounds while she actually looking at older scars, she thoroughly checked her current wounds last night.

"Ribs feel okay? Not to tight?"

"No you did the best compression wrap I've ever had, thank you." Saeko mentally notes that she's apparently needed her ribs wrapped before.

"What about that shoulder feeling good, can you move it?"

"Yeah it's amazing I've never had my shoulder popped back in and it feel so good afterward, it is usually sore for weeks." This poor girl has had multiple dislocated shoulders.

"I have been a doctor for almost 15 years now, I've learned a few tricks. Is the cut above your eye bothering you?"

"Naw it's good, you did a heck of job stitching it."

"Thank you Ranma. You can put your clothes back on now." When Ranma is fully dressed Saeko ask her to sit back down. "Ranma I want you to know a couple of things, one I take my job very seriously which means that even though were not in a hospital you still have patient, doctor confidentiality and two, I've noticed your scars. A lot of them are consistent with child abuse of a very grievous nature. I want you to know that you…."

"Doc, stop right there, while I do have many scars there is only one time I will ever admit that my father abused me, the rest was training. You know, you're only the second person to ever care enough to bring this up and while I appreciate your worry and your kindness, when I look at most of these scars I feel only pride because I remember the time, patience, practice and mistakes it took for me to master whatever technique I was working on at the time. I may be young but I know you can't achieve great things without sacrifice. I'm sure you know this doctor, it takes many years to get as good you are, the sacrifices you made may not be marked on your skin like mine but I know you made them.

Before you ask, yes he neglected me pretty badly, in fact I still have trouble eating slowly to this day, but I have to say it was worth it, I'm the Master of my school of martial arts and I have a duel for the title of Grandmaster in two years. (Not by choice.)"

"You're a Master? Sorry Ranma, not to doubt you but..."

"But I'm really young, right? (Trade mark smirk) got a place where I can stretch my muscles?"

Deciding to humor the girl, "We have a nice back yard, should be plenty of room. Just don't overdo it you are still hurt."

Ranma knew she wasn't convinced but she would be. Saeko waved her hand allowing Ranma threw the bedroom door first. To Ranma's surprise Ami is standing right outside, her uncanny resemblance to Akane still creeping her out a bit. Saeko ask Ami to make them tea for after Ranma's workout. Saeko leads Ranma threw a really nice apartment to the backyard. The backyard was a small but neatly maintained with a tiny koi pond to one side and a small cherry tree on the other. It was just big enough to get a good work out in. Ranma started out with a standard kenpo kata to loosen her joints and muscles. After that she moved into anything goes katas, jumping high into sky and hanging their like a leaf in the wind before landing for just long enough to jump again. Before long Ranma completely forgot about her audience of one, everything faded away, the only things that existed was her and the art.

Saeko took a seat on her tiny back porch overlooking the yard, not so much a porch, more like a large stoop. Just big enough for two chairs and nothing else. She watched the little girl she was worried about, first she took a stance that even Saeko recognized as a very common Kung Fu stance. However what happen next blew the doctor's mind, the red head jumped impossibly high into the air and somehow hung there while doing punches and kicks before falling gracefully to ground and doing another set. While not any kind expert on the martial arts Saeko now knew that this young girl had to be a master to able pull some of these moves off. While she wanted to stop Ranma from aggravating her injuries, she just couldn't bring herself to do it, she was too mesmerized by a master practicing her art. It reminded her of when she was a med student and the first time she got watch an experienced trauma doctor at work on a patient. The Doctors and nurses moved in perfect synch doing what they were trained to do. To her it looked like they performing some kind of like saving dance. Now she was a master of the medical arts and this child was a master hers.

Ami let her mind drift while she was waiting for the water to boil, what happened to Ranma that night, why would she ask someone named 'kane to kill her, and why was she so fascinated by the red head? She wasn't like the outers, was she? Thank God the kettle whistled at moment letting her know water was ready and derailing her thoughts. She fixes them some nice peppermint tea, her favorite. After all if she fixes it, she gets to choose the flavor. She gets out their good tea set, they do have a guest after all, with three cups and saucers. She sets out a cup of sugar and honey on the serving tray and takes it all toward the back yard. However as soon as gets a glimpse of what was going on outside she almost drops the expensive tea set. She peaks around the corner to see that her mom is occupied then immediately get her mercury computer out to scan what is going on with Ranma.

An alert pops up immediately after her scan, *KI ADEPT FOUND; PLEASE FOLLOW SPECIAL ABILITY RECRUITMENT GUIDLINES*, she closes the alert and bookmarks all the relevant info for bed time reading and puts it away before her mom or Ranma spots her with the techno-magic device. She sets the tea down on the breakfast nook right beside the back door and walks out and sits down beside her mom while never taking her eyes off Ranma the entire time.

"Wonder how can she move so fast, Ami?"

"Not sure but I once read that monks can train to use their Ki for different things like keeping warm, but I thought that was just legend. What I'm more worried about is who could beat someone that good and leave her the way we found her last night."

"We will ask her over lunch I want to build a little more trust with her first."

"Mom did you ask about..."

"Yes, she says abuse only happened once and she is proud of her scars, apparently each one is a "red badge of courage" for her."

"Looks like she's doing a cool down."

"Where do you want to eat lunch at, Ami?"

"Why don't we let Ranma decide?"

"That's a great idea sweetheart." Saeko sends an approving smile to her daughter. Ranma goes through the last few steps of her cool down kata. As reality slowly came back to her Ranma hears clapping coming from the porch. Ranma bows and scratches the base of her pigtail feeling self-conscious all of a sudden.

"Have tea with us, then go freshen up and we will go out and eat." Ranma almost looks confused at the invitation.

"Thank you for the medical care and the hospitality, but I thought I would pack my things and go, you have already done enough for me. I'll pay you for your help if you want." These people have been extremely nice and accommodating but Ranma has found few people that could deal with her curse and stay friendly. She would like to remember them like this, not when they accuse of her lying and pretending to be something she isn't. Plus Amy is extremely cute, and she really, really didn't want another experience where she meets a cute girl, gets offered friendship and then receives nothing but hate.

Saeko and Ami's sharp minds are already dissecting Ranma's words, obviously Ranma doesn't trust them and thinks that they have some ulterior motive in helping her. Saeko was hoping to have more time to gain Ranma's trust, but maybe she could still bring her defenses down if she played it right.

"Ranma just go to out to eat with us, then we can show you a great store you can go to, to replace some of your supplies. When we picked you up last night, we tried to bring as much of your stuff back with you as possible but much of it was destroyed. As far we could tell all your food and cookware were destroyed along with your tent and if want to repay us, I would love to see you work out again it was amazing to say the least." Both Mizunos watched the red get real contemplative.

Why did Ryoga how to attack while I was fixing dinner, my pots and pans where the most expensive things I carried, (sigh) it's going to cost 3,000 yen for quality cookware, could buy cheaper but then it wouldn't last over an open fire. If I can get an apartment quick enough I might not burn out cheap cookware. Damn Ryoga. Still need to find a job and a cheap apartment, (sigh) life is hard (smiles) but it's also going to be MY life. "That sounds like a good idea, thanks." Ranma takes a sip of her tea then quickly drinks the rest down and wipes her mouth with her sleeve.

"Would you like more tea Ranma?" Ami ask.

"YES! I mean yes please, that's the best tea I've ever had."

(Giggle) "Here you go Ranma, its peppermint, my favorite, glad you like it." Ami refills Ranma's cup only to watch it disappear quicker than the first cup.

"Where we going to eat?"

"We were going to let you choose actually Ranma." Saeko didn't expect the completely baffled look.

Why would the let me choose? They picked me up in a park, treat my wounds, and been really nice. Why? It don't matter I'll just leave after they pay for lunch anyway, if I hang around too long they will see the curse in action, then they'll not want anything to do with me. "If it's not too much trouble, I heard they have some of those American 'all you can eat' places nearby."

"We are real close to the Shibuya shopping district that has many of those American places. Which kind you want Italian, Mexican, pizza, or…." She trails off as Ranma has gets glazed look in her eyes. "Ranma?" She waves her hands in front of Ranma's face but gets no response, as she is in an "all you can eat" induced day dream. After leaving her be and hoping she comes to, Saeko runs out patience and lightly flicks Ranma on the nose. Causing Ranma to make a super cute face, Ranma goes cross eyed looking at the tip of her nose, while doing the bunny nose twitch. Causing the Mizunos to laugh which causes Ranma to pout which makes them laugh harder. They are laughing so hard that Ranma gets to laughing at them laughing. It takes a while to get themselves under control. Once they do Saeko tells Ranma to change her sweaty clothes and they'd let her decide on the way.

When Ranma grabs her shirt she accidently knocks her pack over and the box containing Cologne's necklace comes tumbling out spilling the necklace on the floor. It wasn't overly fancy, just a blue gem hanging from a leather chord. The Mizunos seemed like genuinely good people who thought they were helping a red headed girl, she wondered if they would be as nice if they knew what she really was. She had been lucky so far, she remembers when tried to stay a girl when she was hiding as Ranko from her mother and the curse messed with her BAD. Hot tea was spilled on her, hot water heater burst, the hot dish water. When the curse wanted to screw you, you were doomed. She knew, she wouldn't be around the Mizunos that much longer, it felt nice to be treated like someone worthwhile and she would hate to see their faces if she got accidently splashed. She imagined looks of disgust. So with a fresh set of red and black silks and a new necklace she heads downstairs to have lunch with the Mizunos.

Kasumi couldn't believe how well she was getting along with Mr. Miyagi! He would tell her stories about some bratty American named Daniel and how he would get in trouble and then come running to him for training, between demonstrating katas and having her run through them. Then she would tell a story while working on her moves about how Ranma would get in trouble, then make it was worse, then have to fight his way out it. Before she knew it they would be training going 9 or 10 hours. She felt guilty for not fulfilling her end of the bargain at first, but Mr. Miyagi just told her that they both responsible adults and could clean up after themselves. She didn't remember martial arts being this fun but then again her father didn't like to teach girls so that was probably part of it.

As Miyagi watched his first REAL student in years he began to _really_ consider her. This was a girl who raised her two sisters while taking care of a house hold and taking care of her own father. So she came to him with amazing discipline, also she walked to the market everyday by herself and carried all the groceries back, so she also came to him in excellent physical condition. Also being raised in a dojo she knew all technicalities of running a dojo. She had everything he was looking for in somebody to leave his art and dojo too. Expect for one thing. While Miyagi-do didn't require a great deal of aggressiveness like some other arts, to be able to win a fight you needed some. Which was a problem, he never had to teach how to be aggressive before. He would have to think about this.

Malatif was doing her job with exacting precision and care, not because she was a hard worker or proud of her work. No she was being so careful because if she screwed up her boss would suck all the life force out of her body leaving her nothing but a pile of dust. That's because Malatif was a youma. And while she would like to think that taking the time to dig her boss out of the crystal prison he was trapped in would grant her some leeway but that was probably wishful thinking. So she was on the roof of this shop in a place called Shibuya working on this remote life force collector with great care. Her orders were to keep it on its lowest setting so the "sheep-eople" didn't know they were slowly being drained and helping the negaverse. Her boss's plan was brilliant and so much lower key than their former queens. An attack youma would burst through the dimensional barrier attract a lot of attention, which allows a small human from youma, like herself to sneak in unnoticed and setup the remote life force collecting machines. The more life they drained the more youma they had and the more portals to this realm they could open. More attacks, more remote life force collecting machines. Right now they had to wait thirty hours to regain enough power to open another portal but once she and her two contemporaries finish installing their second remote life force collector, hopefully they can reduce that to 20 hours while making stronger attack youma. Just about...

"Hey Ugly! Get your butt down here so I can beat it back to whatever pit you came from!"

Outside a nice restaurant in the Shibuya shopping district, Saeko and Ami watch a red head with amused expressions on their faces. Even though she requested it Ranma had never been in an "all you can eat" restaurant before and was amazed at the amount food on display and when she learned she could partake of all of it, they have never seen such an expression of pure joy. A dozen plates containing all manner of foods and desserts fell victim to the red head. Ranma was stumbling back forth in some kind food induced drunkenness. After walking around enjoying the sights and sounds of the crowed shopping district they head to nice department store to help Ranma find replacement cookware. They were looking for cookware, but what they found was a lesson in quality cookware from Ranma after Saeko suggested to Ranma "Why don't you just get this." That caused Ranma to lecture on why you can't have plastic handles (they melt), thin metal (they melt over hot coals), riveted handles (too easy to break), painted (paint chips in food). She gave point by point the whys and why not of different features for cookware. She told them what she really looking for was ceramic coated metal cookware which was very durable, could handle high heat and was fairly easy to clean. For the two Mizunos, neither of which really cook very much nor have they ever camped it quite the educational shopping trip. But not very productive, Ranma only found a small skillet and a griddle that is used over fire. So the trio was on their way to train station to get back to Minato when stops glows lightly for a second then turns to Saeko and Ami with an extremely serious expression on her face.

"Dr. Mizuno, Ami get on train go home I'll catch up when I can." Ranma starts to turn and jump when her shirt is caught in Saeko's firm grip.

"Ranma, please tell me, what's wrong?"

"You may not believe me, but there is some kind demon here. It is draining people's life force, it is doing it very slowly right now but demons never know when to stop. It will get dangerous, go home. Please." Ami starts when Ranma says demon but can't check her computer.

"I believe you, we seem to get a lot demon attacks around here. Don't suppose I can talk you out of this?"

"Could I talk you out of your Hippocratic Oath? I too have an oath to protect those who can't protect themselves." Saeko and Ami are both moved at Ranma's conviction. Saeko lets her go and she bounds off quickly gaining speed and soon disappearing over the roof tops. Ami uses the distraction of her mother watching Ranma disappear to blend into the crowd and move away from her mother to call the other scouts and find a place to transform. She knew mother would worry when she couldn't find her and felt back for it, but she too had a job to do.

Ranma had never encountered an energy draining demon before but she hoped she had enough Ki control to keep her energy under control not drained out of her body. This was the kind thing she wanted stay away from but she was not about to let some demon suck people's life force from them. Unfortunately this demon was hiding well so she had to keep flaring her aura to feel what direction it was being pulled in. She has had to stop three times now to keep checking her direction, this had to be a powerful demon to able to pull life force from such a distance. The further she traveled, the higher she kept ratcheting the threat level of this demon up. Ranma was already concisely hardening her body, and drawing on the cat fist turning her eyes into slits.

It took several minutes but Ami found a place to transform after contacting the others. The inners were on their way, per usual the outers didn't even acknowledge the call. After transforming she had her scanner and computer out. Looking for the threat Ranma sensed at first she saw nothing but increasing sensitivity to max she saw the energy drain but still no sign of the youma. Remembering she had Ranma's bio-signature she scans for the red head and curses. Ranma was already right on the edge of her scanning range, she quickly locks her scanner onto Ranma and starts roof hopping toward her.

The pull was getting stronger now, she was getting close. Ranma stops and flares her aura and was surprised to actually see it start to pull away from her, Ranma quickly squashes her aura back down under control before she loses any energy. But it does give her an idea she creates the weakest Mōko Takabisha possible and just tosses it in the air. It works perfectly, it fly's toward whatever is causing the drain. Its goes for more than 300 yards before it starts to fade, but that's okay Ranma thinks she sees her destination anyway. There is a woman on top of a multi-story shopping complex with some kind of strange device. He does a quick aura reading of the woman, yep, demon. Ranma stops on a building right beside the demon's taller building. Ranma decides not to confront the demon up there, she wasn't sure what would happen if she got to close to that life sucking machine. So she decides to sucker the demon into coming down.

"Hey Ugly! Get your demon butt down here so I can beat it back to whatever pit you came from!"

"I have no idea how you knew I am a youma but if you desire your own destruction so much I will be happy to oblige." Ranma's eye twitches at that line. Malatif does a superhero landing on the opposite side of the roof Ranma is standing on. Malatif morphs her form so that she no longer looks entirely human. She now has metal interspaced randomly threw out her body, her right hand is now a viscous clawed hand while her left turned into a vicious looking canon type looking weapon. She waste no time in firing her weapon trying to take out the witness quickly. But as soon as Malatif raised her arm to aim, Ranma was ready, she used her full body chestnut speed to get on Malatif's left flank and pounded it with hundreds punches, while a successful attack, her ribs were protesting loudly. After her attack Malatif was staggered but unfazed. "You are more powerful than most humans but it will do you little good if that is your best. I'm going to enjoy this."

"There one thing you need to learn, I AM the best!" As she says this Ranma fires 5 vacuum blades, one to her left if she dodges left, one to the right if she dodges right and three at her central mass. Ranma wanted to end this quickly as well, her injuries where making this hard plus the constant pull on her life force was making it hard to concentrate on the battle. Malatif didn't even realize there was an attack until the last second when she saw the distortions caused by the blades. Malatif used all her speed to quickly dodge right where an unexpected blade took the cannon arm from the right below the elbow. She screeched in pain.

"You little bitch you will pay for that!" Malatif severely underestimated this human. She uncorks all her power for retaliation. She blast forward with such speed that she destroys the roof under her feet. Ranma tries to dodge and almost succeeds, but almost isn't good enough, Malatif is able to grab Ranma's upper left arm, with Ranma trying to dodge combining with Malatif's speed dislocates Ranma's shoulder, again, she cries out in pain. Ranma swipes in with her right hoping to get Malatif to let go but she blocks with what is remaining of her right arm.

"Are you ready to die little one?"

"I'm not done yet!"

Ranma immediately goes into the soul of ice then pours all her Ki through it. Flaring her icy aura, causing deadly ice to start forming on Malatif. She throws away Ranma, hard, badly damaging the roof and Ranma herself. Fractured ribs were now broken, at least they didn't puncher her lungs or other organs, yet. Shoulder dislocated, broken ribs, multiple contusions and the pull on her Ki was getting harder to ignore, always did like a challenge. Ranma directs some of her considerable Ki to healing, as Ranma struggles to stand she sees Malatif still struggling with the ice chunks applied to arm and chest. Malatif was getting them off slowly. Ranma smiles a wicked smile, Malatif was still covered in considerable ice with a nice pile of ice at her feet. She heats up her aura as hot it'll go, the tiles on the roof start to bubble around her until she can't stand it anymore and she fires her Hiryü Shöten Ha horizontal. Malatif looks up when she hears the screeching winds. Worried for first time since this battle started she uses all her reserves to try and teleport back to her dimension. Malatif succeeds, mostly. She wasn't able to get away until after the elemental tornado hit her. There were pieces of armor, clothing and even hair that was turning to dust as it floated down to the ground. Unfortunately Ranma's control over her Ki was slipping and she was really close to that machine, so something had to be done. Can't fire a Ki attack it would just get absorbed, hate to do it but time to get up close and personal. Ranma took a second to try secure her Ki the best she could right now and slip into the soul ice for a little extra control. Ranma jumps to the top of the building where the machine is and already feels little bits of her Ki being pulled away and she is still 20 feet away. She does her breathing exercises she learned for Ki control and slowly walks closer. It doesn't help much, more and more of her Ki is being ripped away. Slow and steady isn't working so she goes into a sprint and jumps eight feet away and puts all the power she has into a drop kick. She impacts the antenna looking machine with a lot of force but it sucked away a great deal of the attacks force but it is severely damaged reducing its ability to steal life force. Lying on the ground in front of the life sucking machine wasn't doing Ranma any favors however she also lacked the energy to stand at the moment. She hears the crunch of feet landing on the roof before passing out for the second time in two days.

Ukyo was still sitting at her father's side watching the tiny TV when she hears him waking from his Ranma induced nap. He opens his eyes and blinks several times looking around the room he spots his daughter.

"How long you been Ukyo?"

"Since I brought in two days ago father." He nods accepting her answer.

"I got hit pretty hard, how did stop Saotome?" Ukyo gets a pit in her stomach at the question.

"I swore on my honor he would never hear from the Kounji Clan again if he wouldn't hurt you anymore." Her father absorbs that for a second before speaking.

"So be it then our clan will no longer bother him." Ukyo let out a great sigh relief until "But since we can't bother him and you still have a loss of honor, I am left with but one course of action." He take a deep breath and with a mono tone that most people read stereo instructions with says. "Ukyo Kounji you are no longer my daughter, you are no family of mine. I don't deserve a daughter like you. Goodbye." Ukyo staggers out of the hospital room knowing what happened but unable to process it. One thing that sticks in her mind though is the last part of the fight.

 _"_ _No Ranma please, I know you want peace, especially after the cursed springs and to my great regret the wedding disaster. I know he is a jackass and stubborn and an idiot, but I, but I still have faith in him. Please don't hurt him anymore and I'll swear on my honor you'll never hear from the Kuonji Clan again."_

 _"_ _You don't deserve her for a daughter you bastard."_

 _"_ _I think your right."_

Thanks Again to all my readers.

Questions, comments, reviews welcome


	5. Chapter 5

Ami didn't think any human could move as fast as Ranma was moving across these roof tops. Ami also didn't think any normal human could sense a low level life drain. Ami also didn't think any human should be able to glow like that. Ami obliviously didn't know Ranma Saotome. The only time Ami started to catch up was when Ranma would stop for a second, glow and then take off again. That was until Ranma stopped once and threw a glowing ball in the air then took off after it in a flash. She even lost him off her scanner twice but she just kept going in that general direction and she'd pick Ranma up again, thankfully. She had been worried the entire chase but that same worry increased exponentially when Ranma stopped moving. Ami zoomed in on Ranma using her visor so she could watch what was happening. She never stopped moving but she knew it would be between 5 and 7 minutes till she got there and a lot can happen in five minutes. Not that she could do much, she thought bitterly. Not unless Ranma finds fighting in a fog bank useful. Ranma. A non-magical girl is fighting monsters better than her. A supposed magical defender of love and justice. A beep on visor draws her attention from the fight for a second. Its Venus, she is just as far away Ami is, just coming in from a different direction. At least someone useful will be their when they arrive. Ami gets a catch in her throat when she sees Ranma picked up by her shirt collar, for a moment she thought she was going to see her new friend die horrible death. But then Ranma does, something with ice and escapes but it still don't look good. Ami pushes herself harder, she must help Ranma. Ami is shocked to suddenly see tornado sweep across the roof top that would have destroyed the youma had it not teleported last second. Upon seeing the debris left behind Ami doubted it would survive. Damn still two minutes away! No Ranma leave it be, we will be their soon, don't hurt yourself! Ranma severely damages the life force drainer then faints as Ami arrives. Venus arrives shortly their after. While is Ami is scanning Ranma to check her condition she ask Venus to finish destroying the life force drainer. She shrugs and takes care it with a "Venus Beam Smash". Then she comes over to see what Ami is doing.

"Who is she, a civilian?"

"No Venus she nearly destroyed the youma by herself after fighting in an injured condition, then severely injured and fighting the effects of the life force drainer she almost destroys it as well. We would be lucky to call her an ally."

"How can a normal human do that?"

"I scanned her, the computer called her a Ki adapt, apparently a rare gift even in the Silver Millennium. I didn't get further than that. You want to tell the others what happened, I'm going to take her for medical care. I'll explain all I know at a meeting tomorrow." She didn't know why she didn't say her mom was going to treat her. Ami picks up the petit redhead and roof hops toward home.

She has been kidnapped by a blind amazon, by the seven lucky gods, by mutant phoenix people, why was she so scared to pass through that door? She knew why. She didn't want to admit that she was scared of being laughed at, mocked, being told she being stupid for even trying. She takes a deep breath. I'm Akane Tendo I can do anything! So she steps through the door. As it swings back you can read the writing on the door. Alphonso's School for Modern Dance.

The disowned heir of Okonomiyaki Style martial sits on the floor of her apartment finishing off her third 48oz bottle of sake. How stupid was she! How fucking stupid! Why would she get a happy ending, why would she get a happy family! How stupid! They weren't happy before Ranma and Genma showed up, they were worse after they left. The only time she ever remembered being close to happy was her ten year training trip. Watching so many sunrises while training by the sea, taught her so many things. It taught her that every single sunrise was unique, just like the day that followed. She got where she loved to watch the sunrise, it became a habit that kept her sane, became a constant in life, and became a comfort to her. Because no matter what happened that day she could count on another sunrise tomorrow. She smashes her empty sake bottle against the wall. To hell with that bastard he never even liked me! He tried to pawn me off on the first traveling martial artist he found and when that didn't work sent me on a ten year training trp. So screw him! I'm goanna sell everything here move somewhere, learn a REAL martial art and if I ever see his sorry ass again, I'll finish what Ranma started. With that plan in mind she passes out on the floor.

Kasumi and Mr. Miyagi are enjoying there after dinner tea on his back porch overlooking a traditional Japanese backyard.

"Kasumi-chan I am going to ask you something and I want you to give it serious thought because the answer will affect your training from here on out. I do not want you to answer tonight, think on it for at least two days and then answer me. Do you understand?"

"Yes Sensei."

"The question is, is there anything you would fight for?" As odd as it might sound Kasumi never thought of herself as fighter. Practicing katas was one thing, fighting was another. Suddenly Kasumi was glad Mr. Miyagi gave her two days.

Saeko Mizuno was exhausted, first the shopping trip to Shibuya with Ami and Ranma which was fun but tiring. Then worrying herself to death when both disappear. Then when Ami reappears carrying Ranma she didn't know whether to scream or cry or do both. She didn't of course, Ranma needed medical attention, again, her ribs were broken but lucky they didn't need to be set. That same shoulder was dislocated and lots more bruising. Once Ranma was taken care of she gave Ami her "explanation now" look. Apparently she went after Ranma to make sure she would be alright, which was a good idea. Because right after defeating the demon Ranma fainted. Saeko didn't know why but she felt like this girl, this demon hunter, this strong yet vulnerable girl needed her help. Maybe helping Ranma could be her redemption for not saving poor Susan when she had the chance.

Nodoka Saotome was treating a hangover the best way she knew how, drinking water and laying quietly on the couch with a wet cloth over her eyes. While getting drunk itself was reprehensible, drunk dialing was worse. Even worse she remembers the conversation word by word. She had laid bare her sins and Kasumi hadn't held back. If Kasumi said she was guilty and her own concise agreed, who was she to argue. But where to go from here. She wanted a relationship with her child, but was she capable of forming such a relationship? She had about four months with him and treated him like a cold fish the whole time. It was time for desperate measures, time to call her mother.

Ami knew she looked ridiculous lying in bed right now but she was tired and the mercury computer worked better when she WAS mercury. She loaded up all the files she had bookmarked earlier for reading. She started with the definition of Ki adept, after all it didn't do much good to read the rest if didn't have a clue what the terms meant.

KI ADEPT; see also Ki manipulator, Ki power, Ki master: a person or persons able to control their life force to such an extent that can it become a weapon, or used for healing in rare cases.

Life force as a weapon, Ami really hoped that Rei or of the others doesn't try and make a jump from KI adepts using their own life force as a weapon and the negeverse using others life force a as weapon. Ami clicks on what actually looks like a wiki page for Ki adepts.

Ki adepts are rare occurrences in a kingdom that values magical abilities over most anything else. But once one is discovered that planets kingdom will do almost anything to get them to work for the crown, such is the value of a Ki adept. (Everybody has heard of the hero of Ansari prime) Drafting Ki adepts into service ended with the rule of Queen Selene III, since then Ki adepts have been able to write their own tickets in life, asking for and getting most of the time the best positions and military postings available. Prompting many to try and become Ki adepts, however unless one has innate ability, it takes 20 to 30 years before the average person can even perform the simplest Ki related ability, and its another 30 years before they use Ki to attack. Not a practical time frame for anybody. There have been numerous studies done by the best institutions in the kingdom, including The Royal Academe, Mercury Royal Sciences, Plutonian College of Sciences just to name a few. Yet no one has a clue how adepts are able to so easily weaponized their own life force. How they do it may still be mystery but in there actions this no question, our history is littered with Ki adepts raising to any challenge. Below are a list of the most famous Ki adepts in Silver Millennium history;

1\. Hero of Ansari prime

2\. Kenichi the Mightiest

3\. Commander Shepard

4\. The Mercury Knight

5\. Rukia Kuchiki

6\. Naruto Uzamaki

7\. Rumiko Takahashi

8\. Naoko Takeuchi

9\. Vash the Stampede

10\. Abel Nightroad

The names listed didn't really mean anything to Ami except the mercury knight listing intrigued her. She clicks on the link.

Many stories have been passed down through the centuries about the mercury knight, and some have exaggerated threw time and retelling. But this database has been based on facts recovered from the archives on mercury, moon, and unprecedented access to the hidden archives on Pluto. So this is hopefully the most fact based investigation on the fabled mercury knight.

The story begins in the early days of the silver millennium, its 125 SM, 125 years into the founding of the Silver Kingdom which would later be renamed the Silver Millennium. In third month of that year a Ki adept is found living in the wilderness on mercury. His name was Ranto Sistome, when given standard testing, he turned out to be a rare class 9 Ki adept. However any attempt to recruit the youth failed, most he ignored while training in the wilderness. The only recruiter not to be ignored was a particularly aggressive military recruiter who was found running through the forest beaten and blooded but refusing to talk about what happened. Getting desperate to recruit the youth the Queen of mercury sends her daughter, the Guardian of Mercury at the time, to request his presence before the Queen. What happens next is lost to history, but many have speculated. Some say they ran into trouble and they bonded over a common foe. Some say they just became fast friends and decided to relax away from the city for a while. All we know for fact is that The Guardian and Ranto where three weeks late for the audience with the Queen. When they arrived the records of the day show them worse for wear. When they arrive in the formal throne room The Guardian takes her place on her Mother's right hand while Ranto walks forward to the traditional place to greet the Queen with a deep bow and wait for the Queens acknowledgment.

"Greetings young Ranto I'm glad my daughter and yourself were finally able to make it. I take it you had some problems?"

"Nuthin' we couldn't handle." The Queen waits for some elaboration but seeing none forthcoming continues.

"I'm just glad your both safe. As to why I ask you here..."

"You want me to work for you, your first 15 guys said that. I want to know why you think I'm so important. I'm just a martial artist." Their mummers around the throne room at the rudeness he just showed the ruler of their planet. The Queen holds her hand up for quite.

"You may consider yourself "just" a martial artist but to us you're a Ki adept a very powerful Ki adept. The reason we want you to work for us is because your Ki abilities make you unique, you can do things beyond our best soldiers and from our experiences in the past a highly trained and skilled Ki adept can match our best magic users attack for attack. I want you to work for the crown, to help defend our planet from aggressors, you would simultaneously be a deterrent from attack and our best defense next to my daughter. I offer you the rank of 2nd colonel in the army, a position of great power and responsivity and a posting to the base of your choice." Overall the Queen believes she stated her case very well and made a reasonable offer, he may of course counter-offer but she was prepared for that.

"No." he states flatly. Causing an uproar in the throne room, and catching the Queen by surprise. The Captain of her Alpha Guard pulls her sword and points it at him in a threating manner, who seems unfazed at the action. She screams over the uproar;

"Why do you disrespect the Queen in this manner, do you have no loyalty to her at all!? No Loyalty to this Kingdom!? You could do so much good with your abilities but all you want to do is hide the forest like a coward!" For the first time everyone sees something besides calm indifference from the youth. He glows for a second then everyone goes silent as the only thing that can be heard is the sound of metal clanking on marble. For a moment no one knows where metal beside Ranto's foot came from until the Alpha Guard Captain's gasp, she notices half her sword is missing. The rest of Guard starts to make a move until the Queen gives them the 'hold' hand signal.

"Don't EVER call me a coward! Don't act you know me! As for loyalty, why should I have any to this Queen or any other? Tell me, Queen where your solders when earth attacked my village! You people always talk about the loyalty we owe you, but what about the loyalty you owe us, it goes both ways you know. The only person in this room I would ever swear loyalty stands there!" He points at the Guardian of Mercury, the Queens daughter. The Queen looks at her with one cocked eyebrow.

"I see, what if I build a large guard post close to your village. As for the attack on your village things are far from perfect when skirmishes break out with earth, but think about this with you on our side earth might think twice about attacking Mercury." The ruff looking youth looks unsure for the first time. A minute passes then two until finally he makes a decision.

"I will never work for you Queen under your rule my village was nearly wiped out. But if you build that guard post I will swear my life to your daughters command." There was uproar in the court at the first part but that was quickly over shadowed by the outrage at the second part, never has anyone sworn fealty to a princess over the Queen. People were wondering if he could even do that or if doing it was treason. The commotion was so loud the Queen had to rap her staff on the marble to get order restored.

"Very well, your conditions are satisfactory, (again rapping her staff for order), I understand your reasons, and I am very proud of my daughter for already inspiring such loyalty in those around her. If she keeps this up I may retire sooner than I hoped." The Queen stands bringing everyone in the room to attention. "I swear before all these people that I, Queen of Mercury, will build a large guard post close to the village of Ranto Sistome in exchange he will swear his life in service of my daughter, The Guardian of Mercury." The Queen sits back on the throne, waiting for Ranto to fulfill his part of the bargain. The youth steps forward and gets on one knee and puts his hand over his heart.

"I Ranto Sistome of Mercury, hence forth swear my body, my life, my heart and soul into the service of The Guardian of Mercury forever more." From then on Ranto became her ever present shadow. Never leaving her for any reason, Nobles started calling him the Mercury Knight as joke, but it stuck, both parts the title of Knight and the joke, he and the title were a joke. But it never seemed to bother either of them as they went about their duty. As a consequence, throughout the Silver Kingdom rumors and gossip surrounded the pair from Mercury. Most not very flattering to either of them.

From here we must skip several years ahead because their simply is not much recorded about them until the Goa'uld invasion. The entire Kingdom was caught off guard in the attack. The Goa'uld dropped two fleets out of hyperspace, one on top of mercury, to work its way from the center out and one on top of Pluto, to work its way from the outside in. A great strategy except that the fleet that was supposed to take mercury and move on. Never could capture the planet. The mercury Guardian and her Knight stopped them cold. Not much of the recorded battles is left but what is shows them tearing through the enemy soldiers like tissue paper. The surviving footage also shows Ranto and the Guardian perfectly covering each other's back as they fought. In all they destroyed over a 400,000 invading troops and destroyed 2 motherships. In fact the viciousness of their defense of Mercury sent that fleet into full retreat. They didn't stop there, they stole an enemy transport ship and traveled out to help the outers defend Neptune, Pluto had already fallen. With nothing but a cargo ship the Mercury pair took out another two mother ships before landing on Neptune where the outers had taken purely defensive positions. Wanting to wait for reinforcements, the pair let them wait and charged in tearing the Jaffa to shreds. Before the other planets reinforcements were able to land on Neptune the Goa'uld forces were in full retreat trying to leave the planet. The Mercurial pair let the armies of the Silver Kingdom liberate Pluto. Even though an invasion of thousands landed on Mercury, they suffered fewer than 200 causalities, the fewest of any planet. The non-invaded planets sent their ships to ensure they had left the solar system and suffered causalities from the space battles. Thus the Mercury Knight legend was born. Overall The Mercury Guardian and her Knight were involved in more than 4 incursions into Silver Kingdom territory. Two all-out invasions, one coup attempt and one assassination attempt. Of course these are just the official records, there may be more.

After reading that Ami couldn't help but be astonished, there was a mercury scout who wasn't just a useless team member. She was useful, no more than useful she was a badass, her and her knight. Ami drops her transformation and falls asleep dreaming about her and a certain red head fighting side by side in perfect synch while rescuing her team mates.

In the negaverse a youma in poor shape with one arm steps in front of a man on throne who seems to be concentrating on reading something. Unsure if he was aware of her presence she quietly says;

"Master." He looks up surprised.

"Malatif, what's the meaning of this what happened?"

"A human with unusual abilities noticed the low level collector I was working on and challenged me, her being human I thought I could easily take care of her, but her abilities were amazing master, she used no magic what so ever and nearly killed me. I teleported at the last second to report this development to you sir. The collectors may not be as fool proof as we first thought if humans like these can detect them." Jadeite steeples his fingers in front his face.

"Tell me everything you can about these 'abilities' of hers."

"The energy she used could come from all around her and be very, very cold or very, very hot. She could create invisible blades that she throws, she also somehow knew I was a youma by just looking at me before I transformed. This girl was also capable of astounding speed."

"Do you know if the collector's automated defense killed your attacker?"

"I do not know master, but considering her power I doubt it." Jadeite smile greatly at the news.

"I suspect you ran into a Ki adept Malatif, which is great news for us! Yes great news in deed! Ha ha ha ha!"

"M..Master?"

"If we can capture this Ki adept, that one girl could power all our operations for days on end before we suck her dry. But it's going to take a special kind of youma to capture her. This made my day, Malatif. Go get yourself healed then report back to me we have plans to make."

Just when you think you have Nabiki Tendo pegged, she surprises you. When I called to sell everything I thought it would take a week at best, she did it in a day, even got a good price. But what takes the cake was she did everything at cost. When I ask her why, she said she knew a thing or two about useless fathers. Stepping outside Ucchans Okonomiyaki for the last time seems surreal or maybe it was just a really strong bullet showing how she was going to live her life now instead of living the life her father wanted. Hitching her pack further up her back she heads in the direction of a master she meet long ago one who said she had great potential that seems like a good a place as any to start. What was his name again? Miyapi, Miaga, she'll remember eventually.


	6. Chapter 6

Rei was irritated, which while being nothing new, the object of her ire was. While she was irritated with Usagi at the moment, whom was always grabbing her books without asking. No, today the majority of her ire belonged to a certain Ami Mizuno. She had called this meeting and was still not here after being two hours late! She had better things to do today besides wait on overly-bossy bookworms.

Makoto and Minako were in far better spirits, both were reading one of those gossip rags from the grocery store, talking about what celebrity was dating who or what said celebrity was wearing.

Of course, Usagi was reading Rei's latest copy of Dragon Ball Super. She couldn't really blame Usagi for wanting to read it, after all this one has the reappearance of future Trunks. She just wished she'd ask. All this together caused Rei's temper to hit critical mass.

"Guy's, do whatever you want. I'm outta here, we've only got a little over a week left of school break and I don't want to waste it worrying about Ami's supposed new enemy."

"But Rei, we should listen to her, she has never led us astray before," Usagi said in her whiney voice.

"Except for that one time she let the Negaverse take her over and turn her evil. Then, she couldn't detect any of the witches nine, nor was she any help at all with Galaxia. She is at best, useful in certain situations like an overly specialized tool." Rei shouted.

"You're just still mad that she kicked your butt twice while she was evil," Mina smirked.

"You're damn right I am. She beat all of us while she was evil. All that power couldn't have been Beryl's! She has her own power but she is way too meek, too weak to use it. In a battle she is just a liability. How many hits have we taken to protect her while she plays on that computer?"

"Why are being so mean Rei?" Usagi didn't like where Rei was going with this at all.

"I don't think Rei is being mean on purpose, it's just that her frustration with Ami has boiled over. I admit that I too have a problem with Ami. She hung out with Zoisite for how long before she told us? She said she was trying to turn him good again because he was her lover in the Silver millennium. She put us all in danger, he used her, she is too naïve sometimes," Makoto states in matter of fact manner.

"Come on guys be fair! I've been accused of being naïve many times but you don't hold it against me!" Usagi says trying to defend Ami.

"Yeah, you're naïve too, but it's easier to overlook you for it, when your naïve moments work out in the end. Ami's naiveté got us attacked, twice, once almost resulted in Mikoto getting killed." Rei bullets her point by crossing her arms and puffing up.

"Why are you all against Ami all of a sudden?" Usagi is nearly crying by this point.

"We're not against her she just gets on our nerves using that stupid computer during battle, I mean we're out there taking hits and trying our best to fight and she's standing there, staring at that darn computer screen, then when she's done, she starts barking out orders like some battlefield general. Don't tell me you're not tired of her always telling you what to do, like your homework, or be more responsible and it's the same thing when we're scouts. Attack like this or attack over there. Just because she has a 300 IQ doesn't make her better than the rest us," Makoto states with a bit of irritation in her voice.

"Yeah, I get tired of her always telling me what to do, but it's for my own good and everyone else does it too. I'm so tired of everyone telling me to do things 'for my own good.' I am sick of it!" Usagi just shrugs giving up the fight and openly crying. The present inners hug and/or lay their hands on their princess trying to comfort her. However, nobody hears the footsteps of someone leaving or of the door slamming.

Ranma is hovering over a large canyon, beside him Ranko hovers as well. Currently both are staring down their common enemy. Said enemy is a very overweight panda wearing boxing gloves with a strange antenna sticking up from the middle of its forehead.

"We can't beat him like this Ranma, we need to do it," puffs Ranko still trying to catch her breath from the last exchange.

"We'll hold that in reserve in case we really can't beat him. We still have a chance." Ranma isn't as out of breath as Ranko, but his bruises and cuts are much more apparent.

"Damn it Ranma, quit being stubborn! Look at him, he has been completely unaffected by our attacks! We are beat up and losing strength by the minute. The arrogant bastard is even giving us a chance to catch our breath and talk strategy! We need to use fusion!"

"Fine," Ranma says through gritted teeth. They both land on the ground keeping Panda man in sight while taking up the required silly stances for the powerful move. Toward the end of their awkward dance they both scream F-U-S-I-O-N HO! Then there's a large puff of smoke and…

Ranma sits up far too quickly in the bed with broken ribs, screaming out in pain. Saeko quickly runs up the stairs after hearing the scream of pain.

"What are doing, lay down before your ribs poke a hole in something important!"

"Sorry Doctor Mizuno, had a weird dream, he he." Ranma slowly laid back down with the help of Dr. Mizuno.

"Oh, what kind of weird dream?" Saeko asked while she rechecked Ranma's bandages.

"I was in an anime." Ranma says a bit embarrassed.

"Dragon Ball, Black Butler, Fairy Tale?" Ranma eyes went wide with shock. "What, just because I'm old doesn't mean I can't like anime you know." She leans down close to Ranma and says in a conspiring voice, "Just don't tell Ami's friends, she is already terribly embarrassed that her mom is an otaku." She gives Ranma a wink. "Well, which one is it?"

"Dragon ball, me and a uh… a friend were fighting and we couldn't win so we used the fusion technique."

"Oh my god, that would be so cute, I wonder if I could get Ami to do it with you? Oh my god, I'd have to get that on video." When she looked back up from tightening the bandages on Ranma's chest she saw a resigned look on Ranma's face. She put a hand on Ranma's shoulder to get her attention and looks her in the eyes. "Relax Ranma, I was only teasing you, but it would be cute," she winks.

"It's not that Dr. Mizuno, it's well, you and Ami have both been so nice to me. I mean, you've taken the time to patch me up, twice! You put me in a wonderful bed, took me out to eat. You even let me pick the place to eat and you took me shopping. I just want to know why, why have been so nice to me. It's just not normal is all." Ranma looks embarrassed a little at her run of sentences.

"Oh Ranma," she says grabbing one of Ranma's hands and holding it. "Believe it or not, but most people are nice if you give them the chance. The reason we are helping you is because, from the first time Ami saw you in that park we knew you needed help." Ranma's eyes got wet but tears didn't fall.

"I don't deserve your help," said Ranma. Saeko was about to rebuke her when she heard the front door slam open and someone run up the stairs, not long after she heard the door to Ami's room slam shut. Saeko knew her daughter well, she had the makings of a great doctor, always calm, cool, collected, and in control of the situation. For her to come running into the house slamming doors was a very, very bad sign.

"This conversation is not over, understand me Ranma?" Ranma nodded in confirmation. "Good, I'm going to check on Ami, don't move." She says the last with a smirk knowing Ranma would have a hard time doing much with those ribs and the swelling they now had. Saeko walked up to the door that led to Ami's room and heard her daughter weeping. She slowly opened the bedroom door to the sight of her daughter lying face down on her bed crying her heart out. Saeko got on her knees beside her daughter's bed and started to rub her back but, as soon as she made contact, Ami turned and latched onto her mother squeezing for all she was worth.

"Shh sweetheart, I got you. Mommy's got you, It'll be ok." After several minutes the tears let up a little, enough for her talk. Although, she cried silently for some time before finding her voice.

"I thought I made real friends mom, I thought they liked me. They were just tolerating me, but I guess they finally got sick of me or maybe they don't need help with their homework anymore. Now… now it's just like before, I'm all alone mom, I don't have any friends anymore." Saeko had long suspected those girls were just using her daughter, using her only weakness against her, her loneliness. The only one she thought might be genuine was Usagi.

"Surely Usagi is your friend still."

"I heard her say for herself that she was tired of me being around her. She was sick of me trying to help her. I thought she was my friend, I thought they all were, maybe I'll never have friends." Saeko didn't know what to say to that, just that she needed to hug her daughter tighter, and that if a certain blonde were here at this moment she'd slap the buns off her head. A loud, meaty thud causes them both to look towards the doorway where a red head barely stood, blood running down her face where she busted open her stiches when she fell and hit her head.

"Ranma what are you doing? Get back to bed, you busted your stitches, you could damage you organs if you keep moving!"

In a voice that doesn't look like it could come from someone so small or so injured, she said loud and clear with her hand on her heart, "I, Ranma Saotome, master of Saotome School of Martial Arts, pledge my eternal friendship to Ami Mizuno." Having said what she needed to say, strength seems to drain from her frame as she slid down the doorframe until she was on her knees. Not for long though as moments later, she completely fell over. Ami walked over on her knees and adjust Ranma to a more comfortable position with Ranma's head on her lap. Ranma was still awake, but just barely.

"Why did you do that?"

"Why did pick you pick me up, beaten and bruised in a park?"

"Because you needed it." Ranma just nodded agreeing with her and passed out. Ami just smiles down at her and mouths a quick, "thank you."

Saeko didn't know what would happen when she brought this girl into her home. Oh, she imagined many different scenarios, but she never imagined she would rescue her daughter from a very, very bad day. Ami went from bawling her eyes out to genuinely smiling at the other girl. Saeko wiped a tear off her cheek and put her doctor mask back on.

"Ami, think you'd like to take your shoes off and help me get Ranma back in bed?" Ami blushed bright red for being so upset that she forgot to remove her shoes and quickly pulled them off.

"Yes ma'am"

"Don't be like that Ami, I'm not mad. I'm just glad Ranma came in when she did, although we're going to have a long talk about moving about with broken ribs."

Ukyo was glad to finally see the front door of Mr. Miyagi's place. She'd forgotten how hard being on the road was, she'd gotten too comfortable being in one place. She almost felt weaker for not being able to handle it better. She would get stronger, but for now she just hoped Mr. Miyagi wouldn't mind letting her train under him again. She knocked twice before she was rewarded with the smiling face of Mr. Miyagi.

"The gods must smiling on me lately to have yet another beautiful girl standing on my door step so soon. Come Ukyo, lets have tea."

Blushing at the compliment, "thank you Mr. Miyagi." He fixed the tea while she took a seat at the western style table. "When did you get a table and chairs?"

"When my arthritis made it hard to get off the floor."

"Mr. Miyagi…"

"Don't worry young one, I have many, many good years left." He brought in the tea and sat with his guest. "Speaking of my advanced age, I have a large favor to ask, as I'm sure you remember, I have no children and I need an heir for my art. Do you think you can help me?"

Saeko was nervous making this phone call, something about Kimi Kursage always put her off balance, Kimi had a strong presence to say the least. Doctors and nurses at the hospital learned when her inspections were due and tried to take that day off. Kimi had the uncanny ability to make everyone feel like they were underneath a microscope, guess that's what makes her good at her job. Making sure city and county tax dollars were being put to good use and going were they needed to be, not in pockets of greedy bureaucrats. One of her many duties as a magistrate she supposed. Saeko jumped as someone picked up the phone.

"Grandma's house, I'm Kirin!" Saeko heard in the background,

"How many times have I told you not to answer the phone, Kirin?"

(Giggles) "Sorry Grandma."

"I bet you're sorry, go play, grandma will be there in a minute." Hearing Kimi's exchange with her granddaughter helped her relax, it made Kimi more human to her instead of a bulldog of an inspector.

"Kimi Kursage, Magistrate how can I help you?" Suddenly the bulldog was back how did she change her voice like that?"

"Kursage-sama this is Saeko Mizuno, sorry to call you at this hour but I have a couple questions if you don't mind that is."

"Oh yes Saeko! Good to hear from you, but I wasn't aware you had my home phone."

"I don't, I mean didn't, you see I found your business card in the wallet of young girl when I washed her clothes. I was wondering what could you tell me about her?"

I only gave my business card with home phone to one person in the last five years, her huh, It's her secret to tell though, but I hope she trust them enough to tell them, I believe they'd understand. "Would the girl's name happen to be Ranma Saotome?"

Her voice got soft when she ask Ranma's name, like when she was addressing Kirin. "Yes it is Kursage-sama, do you know her?"

"Call me Kimi, Saeko, at least when we're away from the hospital and I know Ranma very well. Is she ok?"

"Thank you Kursage, I mean Kimi. She is recovering well, Ami found her beaten and unconscious in a park a few days ago, I treated her wounds and got to know the special girl she is. Then, when we went shopping to replace some of her camping gear that got destroyed, she sensed a demon, she destroyed it, but injured herself further. I patched her up, again, and she's currently resting quietly in my guest room."

"She just can't help but to defend people wherever she goes. I won't tell you much Saeko, because one; she talks very little about herself, what you already know about her you probably had to drag out of her and two; her story is not mine to tell. She will tell you in time, if she trust you. Don't rush her whatever you do, also I may be out of line asking this, but do you think you can take care of her as long as she'll let you? I would consider this a personal favor that you could call in for whatever reason."

A personal favor from the great Kimi Kursage. Rumor has it that she has visited the Emperor, twice, knows the president by first name and she takes her debts very seriously. Ranma must mean something to her. "If I may ask, why would you ask this?"

"I owe her a great debt that I can never repay. I lost track of my granddaughter while shopping one day, if not for Ranma, she would be dead and I would possess nothing but regrets."

Ranma saved Kiri-chan, most people she knew would milk the situation for all it was worth, calling in favor after favor, but they encountered Ranma camping in a park. Ranma saved Kiri-chan not because of who she was, but because it was the right thing to do and seemed to endear herself to a powerful woman, defeated a demon while severely injured, but most importantly, at least to her, is she swore on her honor to be a friend to her daughter forever. More and more she felt helping Ranma was the right to do. "I wouldn't feel right helping Ranma because you ask. I had already thought about inviting her to stay as long as she wanted. She saved us from a demon and helped my daughter after her former friends betrayed her. I don't know what led to her being here, but I'm glad she is."

In her angry bulldog-esqe voice, "Her foolish parents drove her away actually." Her voice softened a lot. "Thank you for helping her anyways, it means a lot to me. Do you think she will still be there Saturday, Kirin-chan would love to see her onii-chan again."

Saeko giggling, "her onii-chan huh? I'll hold her here until Saturday just to see the tuff girl playing with Kirin-chan."

"She can be a real softy around kids, it's amazing actually. It's getting late I gotta get little miss hyperactive to bed, she will be thrilled to see Ranma again thanks, really, thank you Saeko."

"You're welcome and good night."

Nabiki's eyes snapped open with the first drum beat of loud music coming from the dojo. With Ranma and then Kasumi leaving, Nabiki has tried to be supportive of her little sister, but enough is enough, she has practiced that damned dance routine every, single, morning since she started dance lessons. Even on Saturday and Sunday, the two days every week she gets to sleep in. Nabiki threw the covers off her bed and put her feet down on the cold, wooden floor and grabbed her robe to throw over her pajamas and started to march down to the dojo and give a piece of her mind to a certain little sister and maybe throw that boom box in the koi pond. Soon as the brisk morning air hit her, Nabiki planned many nefarious things for her youngest sister. When she got to the dojo she threw the door open and looked in to find her sister and that damn noise machine. When she finally caught sight of her sister she was wearing a leotard with white dance tights, but it's not her sister's clothes that stop her cold. It's what her sister is doing. Nabiki was a dealer of information, it was part and parcel of her craft but she had always thought that her sister was a pure berserker, all strength and rage, no grace and certainly no elegance. What she was witnessing was an exercise of pure grace and elegance incarnate. Her sister's movements were smooth yet in perfect sync with the music, at times she could swear the music was coming from Akane, other times Akane was one with music. At times Akane would make use of a chair she brought in and Nabiki never thought someone could make a chair look sensual. Akane was grace, elegance, music, and energy all at the same time. Akane stopped moving while doing the splits with her face nearly touching the floor. Nabiki wondered for a second why Akane stopped but then she realized the music had stopped as well. Akane picks up a towel and dried the sweat off her body the best she could. She then picked up her boom box and walked toward the doorway. The only acknowledgement she made toward Nabiki was to push up on Nabiki's chin to close her gaping mouth as she walked by.

Nodoka Saotome cringed every time the phone rang hoping that her mom picked up and at the same time hoping she didn't. It finally clicked that it is connecting only for it to say, "You've reached the voice mail box of Sally and Hinge Honda, please leave a message after the beep." Nodoka just hung up, no need to leave her mother a message, she would see that Nodoka called on caller ID. Why did her father have to marry an American, a gajin, making her only half Japanese. Why did she have to have red hair and blue eyes. It made her stick out so much. Nodoka went to fix herself more tea while she waited.

"I know you have your reservations Ukyo, but I really need you to give it chance, please?"

"Okay Mr. Miyagi, but I reserve the right to quit any time, got it?"

Mr. Miyagi smiled the smile of getting his way. "Got it, I'm really glad you've agreed to this. I think it'll be beneficial to us both."

Malatif was back to her master's chamber after being fully healed. No, not just healed, she never felt stronger. She'd been needing another shot of human life force. She reached the chamber with some trepidation, master has been a bit more erratic since she brought news of the 'ki adept' back. Steeling her nerves, she knocked.

"Enter," came her master's voice.

"You summoned me master?"

"Yes, you and your team did extremely well in setting up the life-force collectors, I want you to continue. Just do it as far from the district where you encountered the girl as possible. The thrice damned Guardians don't seem to be able to detect them on their lowest setting. See to it."

"But what if we run into more like that redhead?"

"Ha, ki adepts were rare in the old days, sometimes going more than 5 years before a new one was found. Heh, finding a powerful class 8 or better like the girl you fought was a once every 50 years or better. Yes, it was a one in million chance you ran into her and if she was holding back or not yet using her full potential. Oh yes, we need to capture her, she could single handedly give us earth."

"Amazing master, how high do the classes go for these Ki adepts?"

"One to ten before the Hero of Ansari Prime, they classified him as an eleven. Go, collect us more energy the world won't take over itself."

A tall, mustachioed man sat at a bar with a panda drinking heavily. An army of empty glasses, cups, and bottles surrounded them like fallen soldiers in a great battle against sobriety.

"Oh Saotome, our children are so ungrateful leaving us like this, my eldest daughter leaving to train under another master. In the spring, Nabiki is moving to college and my wonderful daughter has given up the art for dance! Can you believe it Saotome, giving up the art for dance! It makes me weep!" The man literally had tears flowing down his face like small rivers.

"Gruf," the panda responded. Which doesn't do much to continue the conversation, which is why it's good this particular panda can create signs with writing to hold up his part of the conversation. On his first and continuing sign rewrites: Our children are useless old friend, it's up to us to show them the true path! Let us set forth to show them the true path to honor by providing us a cushy retirement! The panda's righteous sign based speech was extremely ineffectual because his partner had already passed out. The panda took this opportunity to finish all his partner's drinks while he was napping and to take Tendo's wallet out of his pocket. He would have wanted to pay for their drinks had he not passed out anyways. The panda paid the tab and tried to leave the bar. Too bad alcohol and gravity bested him before he could.

Ami laid in bed having trouble sleeping. Her mind kept flashing back to hearing her 'friends' talk about her while they thought she couldn't hear. It made her wonder how many times they talked about her that she never knew about. Then, there was the other scenes her mind kept flashing to. Ranma, injured and bleeding, but standing at her door way offering her honest and heartfelt friendship. It warmed her heart to know that Ranma got out of bed with broken ribs, barely able to breathe or walk, just to offer to be her friend. Even though she knew it was Ranma, in her mind all she saw was the video of the Mercury Knight swearing undying loyalty to her distant predecessor. She got up as quietly as she could and snuck down the hallway to the guest room. She stood outside a little unsure of herself for a few moments until she worked up the courage to finally open the door. She slid the door open slowly hoping not to awaken her new friend. She walked in and watched her sleep for few seconds before walking up and brushing some stray hairs away from Ranma's face. She quietly thanked her again before walking away.

Seeing Ranma again quieted her mind some. She thought about the mercury knight some more. The past mercury and Ranto became friends during the three weeks they were in the forest before he became her knight. Maybe that's where she and the scouts went wrong, they weren't friends first, they became friends because they shared a responsibility with no other common ground to build from.

Ami didn't know what the future held for her and Ranma, but she did know that Ranma was the kind of person that could easily give their life for a good cause and didn't have a problem fighting demons. Having made her mind up, Friday Ranma meets Mercury, she will ask for training. With her mind and heart settled, sleep found her easily.

Thank you to all my readers.

Special thanks to warfailz for proofreading 


	7. Chapter 7

Akane was on her way to dance practice and couldn't stop smiling, when she heard her sister open the dojo door and she thought, to hell with it, she was having too much fun to stop so she poured everything into dancing all her emotion, all her soul and it never felt so good! Of course, shocking her sister into silence was nice too, but what really got her was the conversation they had over their cereal. Nabiki had been largely silent since see saw her dancing, but when Akane got up to wash out her bowl she was stopped by Nabiki.

"Akane, I want you to do something."

"Sure Nabiki, what is it?"

"I want you to practice every single day, just like you did today, understood?"

"Of… of course Nabiki, but why tell me that? I already practice everyday."

"I just want your word that you'll practice every day. Talent like that should never be wasted, do I have your word?"

"Yea, I mean, yes big sister, you have my word and thank you." Nabiki only nodded in response and went to rinse out her own bowl. For Akane to have her own overly critical big sister to admit she had real talent felt good beyond words. As she was walking to dance class, she figured she'd have to thank Ranma if she ever saw him again. Even though it still hurt to think about, without him leaving she never would have tried dancing. As she passed through that all too familiar door, she silently thanked him.

Tsukino Household

Usagi was worried about Ami, she never showed up to the meeting that she had called, which was very unlike her. She thought about going over, but had a bad feeling about it, for some reason it made her buns hurt which made no sense. Although, she could still call, so thinking, she dialed the number and let it ring.

Mizuno Household

Ami and her mom had already eaten breakfast and straightened up everything. Over tea, Saeko had asked Ami about what she thought about asking Ranma to stay with them, needless to say, she was enthusiastic about it. It was going on ten o'clock and Ranma hadn't ate yet or made any noise indicating that she was awake. Ami was carrying a large tray with food on it, actually it was the largest tray they had, seeing how much she was able to eat at that one restaurant. Ami slid the door open to Ranma's room to see her sitting up in bed and glowing a beautiful shade of yellow. Ami had seen Ranma glowing several times now and it didn't surprise her a bit, she just wondered why Ranma was doing it. She set the food down on the nightstand and cleared her throat to get Ranma's attention, then did it a second and third time. However, that was her limit, her throat was getting sore. So she just sat down and watched Ranma for a minute. Ami blinked once, then blinked again, she wasn't imagining it. The large, prominent bruise around Ranma's neck was fading before her eyes. Not wanting to disturb Ranma, she ran out of the room to get her mom and show her. Healing abilities like that were amazing, they were usually the things of fairy tales and comic books. When Saeko got to the room she too took a second to believe what she was seeing. Cuts were evaporating slowly, bruises fading. It was amazing to say the least. She imagined that Ranma's muscles and bones were healing as well. Both Mizuno's watched as Ranma's breathing slowly changed until her eyes fluttered open and found two ladies staring at her. Ranma hoped she didn't do something to offend them, like interrupting them last night, she had hoped she did the right thing.

"Um, good morning," Ranma says nervously.

"I'm sorry, we didn't mean to stare, but you're just so… amazing is the only way to put it. Ami noticed you uh… meditating, I guess, when she brought you some food earlier and noticed that bruise on your neck fading and wanted to show me. That is absolutely incredible Ranma, how did you do that?"

"Oh, that's a healing technique I learned a long time ago from some monks in Tibet, real nice guys those, especially that Llama guy. Unfortunately, I still haven't mastered it. When you master it, you're supposed to be able to heal a broken bone in minutes using very little Ki. I can't even figure out how to focus the healing on just one part of my body. I wanted to heal my ribs enough to be able to work out today, but since I can only use the technique with my full body, all my injuries burned up way too much Ki before my ribs fully healed and now I can't use it again for at least four or five hours. I don't have enough Ki," she then shrugs like it's no big deal.

Saeko sat down on the bed in front of Ranma and looked at her very seriously. "Ranma, would it be possible to use that to heal other people?"

Ranma crossed her arms and got a look of intense concentration on her face for several minutes before looking Saeko in the eyes and saying, "no idea," causing Ami and Saeko to both face fault. Seeing both looking a little peeved, she waves her hands in front of her and says, "I'll tell you everything I know including what I know is possible, but I have never seen or even heard of a healing technique used on someone else. Most of the martial artists I know each have their own technique for more rapid healing, but each is unique in their own way. The Grand Master can heal very grievous wounds using very minute amounts of Ki from others (usually trace Ki left on underwear the perv.) That's really all I know." Both Mizuno's were way more satisfied with this answer.

"You said the Grand Master could use minute amounts of others Ki to heal his wounds, how minute are we talking?" Ami asked ever hungry for knowledge.

"Trace amounts left on clothing which usually fade after an hour," Ranma answers wondering where she going with this.

"It stands to reason that if a person can heal himself using others Ki, that the opposite might be true, a person might be able to heal others using their own Ki," Ami theorized.

"Maybe, we just don't know until we try I guess." Ranma always wanting to push the bounds of his art. "Do either of you want to try it, I'm willing if you are. I've never even thought of trying."

Ami stepped forward, "I accidentally cut my finger helping cook this morning, if you would like to try." Saeko just shook her head, Ami could cook simple dishes, but she was such a klutz in the kitchen, somehow always hurting herself.

Ranma took Ami's hand into her own and examined the cut with a professional eye. It was a very shallow cut, almost a paper cut if it didn't get deep on one end. Ranma moved over to make more room on the bed.

"Get on the bed, Ami, and get comfortable. I'm going to need you to steady your breathing. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Keep it smooth, in one, out two, in one, out two. Good, now I'm going to sandwich your hand between both of mine and use the same technique I used to heal myself, only this time I'm going to push my Ki outside my body just enough to encompass your hand. If you feel weird, uncomfortable, or it hurts, say something, because I'm just guessing here okay." Ami nodded in understanding, it was both exciting and scary for her, but for some reason she trusted Ranma deeply.

Ranma knew her Ki reserves were low so she powered the technique at the lowest possible level and began weaving her Ki into the pattern the monks showed her. Now the hard part, Ranma concentrated on pushing the weave outside her body. At first it didn't move so she pushed harder and nothing happened. So she went through two cycles of breathing to make sure she had her center and then pushed as hard as she could. She felt something pop or break and the only thing she can think is, 'oh no,' before the Ki weave burst loose from her body and completely enveloped both her and Ami. Ranma expected some kind of Ki backlash or pain so she squeezed both her eyes shut.

"You can open your eyes Ranma, this is amazing, I had no idea this was possible." Ranma opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was a wall of movies, no, their memories. He didn't know how, but he knew they were all Ami's memories. If he concentrated on a single one he could feel what she felt at that moment. Ranma looked at a memory that was from Ami's early childhood and it was amazing, he felt all the love and comfort she felt from her mom and dad, but then he looked further on and felt the depression and self-blame from her mom and dad fighting. Then, there was something he is intimately familiar with, the loneliness after Ami's father left and her mom became a workaholic. Soon after, Ami was ostracized for her intelligence and she was so very alone. In the next memory she met someone called Sailor Moon, weird. It turned out Ami was a magical girl. They fight together and hard to save earth many times, but they weren't friends. In fact, it looks like they barely keep the group together at all. The ones called the 'outers' never did fully join the first group, or the 'inners' as they called them. Then, he saw the last memory, the meeting that was supposed to take place and the overheard conversation, he felt the hole that opened in Ami's chest at hearing their honest feelings about her. Then it all starts over. He can feel Ami there with him, but anywhere he looked all he saw were the memories.

"Where are you Ami?"

"I'm here, I feel your presence, but I can only see your memories."

"So, I saw your life and you mine, sorry you had to see that Ami."

"It's ok, the pit was a little overwhelming, but the rest was a lot like mine…"

"Lonely," they both said at once.

"Sorry to keep my secret from you Ami, but…"

"It's okay Ranma, it really is, I saw how friends and strangers reacted to it. I don't think I would want to tell anybody that either if I got those reactions. Speaking of secrets…."

"I won't tell anybody about Mercury. Did… did you really die and get brought back?"

"Yeah, it was… disturbing. Feeling and remembering the moment of your own death…"

"Sorry to bring up."

"No, it's ok. Ranma, how do we get out of here and don't you dare say, 'no idea'!"

"I'm guessing we came here when our two Ki's touched. so we literally got a look at each other's soul. I'm betting this place is being maintained by my healing technique, so when it stops, we should leave."

"Why don't you just stop the technique now? No offence, but I'm tired of watching your father beat you with logs."

"Can't, already tried. I can't control my Ki from here but I can feel it. I'm almost at the red line, so when I hit that, I'll pass out for twelve hours or so and wake up with a head ache, and we should be free."

"What's the red line?"

"It's a huge no, no for any Ki user. The red line is the minimal amount of Ki needed to keep yourself alive, if you use it up, you die. Thankfully, the human body has a built in safety, when you hit it, normally your body stops any manual Ki use and you go into a coma like state until your Ki is restored."

"That doesn't sound healthy, let's keep that as 'plan b.' Do you have any other ideas?"

"You're seeing my memories, so it stands to reason you're in contact with my Ki. You might be able to destroy the healing weave of Ki I made."

"I'm not a Ki master like you Ranma! I don't think I can do that!"

"The hardest part was done for you, you are in contact with the Ki, it's all around you, you can do this Ami. I know you have a brilliant and focused mind, that's a huge point in your favor. All you got to is listen to me, do you trust me?"

"I trust you Ranma." They couldn't lie to each other while viewing each other's souls. Having someone say they trusted him boosted Ranma's already considerable confidence.

"Okay, have you watched Avatar; The Last Airbender?"

"What?"

"Have you watched Avatar; The Last Airbender, it's important."

"Yes, mom insisted I watch it with her, it was one the better shows she had me watch, okay!" Ami says embarrassed, in this place Ranma actually felt her embarrassment.

"Don't be embarrassed Ami, at least your mom wants to do stuff with you. You saw my mom right? Glad you watched it, it was a good anime. Anyway, I want you to pretend you're an air bender, I want you to imagine you're gathering balls of air around your hands, as much as you can handle, then throw it as hard as you can at the wall. That should disrupt the Ki weave I created, enough to destabilize it."

"Pretending I'm an airbender is your idea?" Ami shook her head at the oddity of it all, but tried anyway. She moved her hands in the posture she saw Aang do many times and imagined air gathering around them. She did this twice before giving up.

Ranma felt her frustration and tried to encourage her. "Ami, Ki is shaped by will and intent. Meaning, if you don't think it will happen, it never will. Ki responds to feelings and thoughts, if you believe it will happen, it will, you must _know_ it will happen, if not, it won't."

Letting loose a sigh, Ami replied, "You could have just said, do or do not, there is no try."

"Yeah, but I don't think movie quotes would help considering you didn't think I was taking this seriously when I brought up Avatar."

"Good point, so, as long I know this will work, it _will_ work. Here it goes." This time, when she moved her hands they started to glow. It was Ranma's Ki, she could feel it, the confidence, the courage. Everything she'd ever wanted to be all her life. She gathered all she could before the energies started to feel unstable. Then she fires the energy toward the wall, she sees the weave flare then shatter. It sounded and looked like glass breaking. Ranma in his male form fades into existence in front of her, damn he was handsome.

"Great job Ami, I was a few minutes away from red lining, you saved me twelve hours and a lot of pain, thank you." He wasn't sure why, but he felt comfortable enough to hug her until the world faded to white.

Alphonso's School of Modern Dance

Akane was packing her things and getting ready to leave after another wonderful dance lesson, even though she was sweaty and tired she wished could go another two or three hours. Making sure she got everything, she leaves the locker room to see her teacher waiting outside. Alphonso, or Fonsie for short, was a great teacher, but she often wondered why older people point at him and go 'ayyyye' when he told them his nick name. She just shrugged and assumed it must be an old people thing. As she walked by he got in step walking right beside her.

"Akane, are you busy right now?"

"No teacher, is something wrong?"

"No, nothing like that. Don't be so nervous, even though you just started a little over a week ago, you are already one of my best students. In fact, I have been meaning to ask, have you studied dance before?"

"No teacher, but I have studied Kenpo for many years and have had a couple lessons in our family art, as well as a couple of Kendo lessons. I don't really have anything to show for it though." She shrugged with a little bitterness in her voice.

"Ha, nothing to show it but strength, endurance, coordination, balance, and speed. Things most people have to train up in order to be excellent dancers. If you want to see the time you spent in martial arts in a more positive light, simply think of it as training for your true calling." Akane thought about it and her teacher had a very valid point.

"Thank you teacher, that helps a lot, thank you. Is that all you wanted?"

"No, that was just sating my curiosity, no I was wondering if you would be interested in some very specialized dance training. It's not for everybody but it will open some doors for you in the dance world just by participating. Your background makes you ideal for the training, but it's entirely up to you whether you want to participate or not."

She was being invited for special training, her! She had never felt more validated, elated, and several other emotions all at once before. She truly felt that she had found her calling.

Alphonso knew she might be excited by the opportunity, but the sparkles in her eyes were getting a little disturbing. He cleared his throat to get her attention, hopefully, because that was weird.

"Ahem, if you've decided to do it, come to this address at eight o'clock tomorrow morning and wear something you don't mind getting messed up. Have a good day Akane." He walked away after handing Akane a small card with nothing but an address on it.

Tsukino Household

"How long do plan on standing there with the phone receiver Bunny Butt."

"Shut up Shingo, I'll stand here as long I want bweee!" Usagi stuck her tongue out at her little, annoying brother. Shingo ran up to her with the intention of yanking one of her way too long pony tails when he noticed something on the phone indicator.

"Umm, sis you're not going to get anywhere with whoever you're calling."

"Why is that brat-zilla?"

"The red blinking light there and the funny ringing noise you're probably hearing means they blocked your number."

"But that means….uh oh." Usagi hung up the phone and quickly called Makoto.

Miyagi Dojo

Kasumi switched her shoes out for house slippers and picked up the groceries Mr. Miyagi asked her to buy. As she moved deeper into the house she could hear voices coming from the dining room, she recognized Mr. Miyagi's voice immediately, but what was odd is the other voice sounds oddly familiar, though she couldn't place it. Oh well, Mr. Miyagi's company is none of her business, but these groceries are. She needed to put up the refrigerated stuff before it got warm.

Mr. Miyagi heard Kasumi in the kitchen putting the food away. "Kasumi, come join Ukyo and myself for some tea please. I'd like us to talk some before your afternoon training."

Kasumi stopped her movement upon hearing the name Ukyo. It couldn't be Ukyo Kuonji could it. "Coming Sensei," was her only reply.

Kasumi walked into the dining room to see her teacher talking to an acquaintance from Nermia. "Ukyo, how good to see you again. I admit I never expected to see you here."

"Good to see you again as well, I never expected to see you here either, let alone studying martial arts. I thought that was Akane's thing."

"Actually, I heard from Nabiki that Akane gave up Martial arts in favor of dancing." Ukyo spat some of her tea across the table at the news. Kasumi continued as if nothing had happened. "It seems she is doing very well and is getting high praise from her teacher. Looks like I'm the martial artist in the family now." She said the last bit with a satisfying smile across her face.

"Ukyo told me you two knew each other, how fantastic, after all it's better to spar with somebody you know the first time, rather than a complete stranger."

"Sparing?" Kasumi asked in shock.

"During my training trip, I stopped here for a few months, Mr. Miyagi was kind enough to train me in his art some. He thought it would be good for me to spar against you using Miyagi-Do just to see where you're at, after all I'm a real martial artist." Ukyo stated with a satisfied air about her.

"Mr. Miyagi?" Kasumi was hoping Mr. Miyagi would deny Ukyo's words, instead he confirmed them with a nod. Kasumi steeled herself, she knew there would be things she would have to do that she didn't like when she took up martial arts, but she didn't know they would make her so afraid either. They moved out to the dojo after Kasumi and Ukyo had changed into their gis. They took their positions opposite each other on the mats, bowed to the shrine and then to each other. Each then took beginning stances of Miyagi-Do. Kasumi was trying to keep her breathing under control and remember all her training. Ukyo wasn't near as nervous, she had sparred many times on her training trip and with her… father. Ukyo knew she was probably going to have make the first move. The chef streaked in with a hard punch to Kasumi's left shoulder, only to be surprised by Kasumi's quick reaction time. Kasumi was almost able to dodge it, but Ukyo still got a good clip of Kasumi's shoulder knocking her just a little off balance. Unfortunately for Kasumi, it was good enough to make an opening that Ukyo took advantage of completely, by nailing Kasumi hard in the ribs, twice on her left side. Then, using her shin to kick her behind the knee, causing Kasumi to either go down to her knees or fall face first. Kasumi, now on her knees, was holding her side where her ribs were protesting.

"Maybe you should have stayed in the kitchen, it hurts less," Ukyo said smirking.

Kasumi looked at Mr. Miyagi to see what his reaction might be, but seeing as he had his 'passive wisdom' face on, he was expecting this. Which makes this a test. Kasumi slowly stood without saying a word and got back in her stance, nodding to Ukyo to let her know she was ready. Whatever test this was, whatever difficulty others may throw in her path, she would not stop, would not give up, this is the life _she_ chose. She wasn't a victim of circumstance any longer, having to raise her sisters, cook, clean, and go to school. She wasn't going too be pitied by the people she saw everyday anymore. She is Kasumi Tendo, she is a martial artist! She knew Ukyo was better than her and Ukyo knew that too, so if she wanted win, she was going to have to outsmart her. Kasumi had been underestimated for years, people called her dense, air headed, and completely oblivious to her surroundings. They were all wrong, it was the stupid housewife act she put on for everybody to see and she _hated_ it. She wanted to go on the adventures, she wanted to see new things. If she hadn't held onto that stupid act she would have gone crazy, or gotten depressed, or both and she wouldn't have been any good for Nabiki or Akane. She was going to prove to Ukyo and Mr. Miyagi she could do this, but most of all she was going to prove it to herself!

She purposely favored her hurt ribs more than she needed to hoping Ukyo would try and attack there again. Ukyo came at her again with a straight punch but at her right shoulder instead. Kasumi was more prepared this time and just ducked it and side stepped to try a shot Ukyo's exposed left flank. Ukyo anticipated this and turned her punch into a roll to avoid Kasumi's punches. Kasumi took a step back to avoid Ukyo's back hand and simultaneous back kick when she came out of her roll. "Yes," Kasumi's mind screamed, a mistake! Kasumi immediately slammed her left foot down on Ukyo's kicking leg, pinning her in place and opening her guard up wide. Kasumi quickly ran through all her options in mind. She could go for the obvious punches to Ukyo's exposed areas or go for the super risky spin kick that had the potential to win this for her. Ukyo was far more experienced than she was, so the longer they fought, the higher the odds that Ukyo would win. At least Ukyo was confined to Miyagi-Do, that helped a lot. So, super risky spin kick it is then. Quickly, Kasumi shifted all her weight to the leg that was pinning Ukyo, then jumped and spin kicked. Damn, Ukyo was good. When she jumped unpinning Ukyo's leg, Ukyo immediately went to dodge, thankfully she didn't have Ranma's speed. The kick that was supposed to catch her cleanly on the side of the head, K-Oing her, barely clipped her temple, but it was enough. Kasumi could tell she was a little disoriented from the hit. Hoping for some free hits, Kasumi went in for a stomach punch, but Ukyo shook off the effects far too quickly, she had to be faking to draw her in. Ukyo grabbed her punching arm and shoulder threw her hard, knocking the breath out of her. She laid there for a second, maybe considering going back home picking up where she left off. Crushing that thought with the weight of white dwarf star. She rolled over and shakily got back up.

"Give up Kasumi, you can't beat me, I have the high ground. I've fought your sister and won. I've fought Shampoo and Kodachi at the same time to a draw. I even fought Ranchan and did pretty well. You've been a martial artist for what, two weeks? Give up before I hurt you more."

Kasumi took on a familiar smirk. "Tell me if you've heard this one before, but Kasumi Tendo don't lose."

Ukyo shook her head, "Real cute." She then charged in for another attack, Kasumi had gained enough skill to spot the feint and block the real attack, a kick to her sore ribs. She tried to counter with an elbow, but Ukyo expertly blocked and countered herself with a quick jab to Kasumi's face. Kasumi absorbed the hit like she was taught and tried to grab the punching arm for a throw, instead she was rewarded with a reversal and ended up on her back, again staring at the ceiling. Kasumi was getting sick of seeing that stupid ceiling, plus she really wanted to see Ukyo on the mat. "Stay down Kasumi, I don't want to hurt you." Kasumi ignored the advice and forced herself to stand and with some difficulty got back in the stance. With more confidence than she actually felt, Kasumi gave the come hither gesture. Ukyo, wanting to end this already, goes in for a quick one, two combo. A stomach punch followed by an upper cut was her plan. Kasumi didn't follow the plan however, she kept blocking Ukyo's punches to her stomach, but she was taking bruising to her arms slowing her. Kasumi formed a plan in her mind. She stopped blocking and took a hard punch to the stomach and in turn she grabbed Ukyo's head and gave her a massive head-butt causing them both to fall to the ground. "Ow, what the hell, Kasumi, that's not Miyagi-Do!"

"Ranma once said to never limit one self, if you do, you become stiff, predictable. That, and you were kicking my ass." Still laying on the floor, Ukyo started giggling. "What's so funny?"

"The prim and proper Kasumi Tendo just said 'ass'!"

"That was never me Ukyo, that was a coping mechanism that I did for far too long. I almost forgot I was doing it. Come on, let's finish this." Kasumi started to stand, but failed and instead fell over. She tried again and got on her knees and then stood. She saw Ukyo already standing, she unsteadily put her arms into the stance of Miyagi-Do.

Ukyo had quickly rolled over and stood up and watched Kasumi fail to stand the first time, then force herself to stand. Her arms are shaky, her nose is bleeding from a poorly executed head butt. Over all, Kasumi looks like crap, but she is obliviously not giving up.

"Kasumi, please give up, you're hurt. I don't want to hurt you more."

"I'm not done yet." Ukyo looked hard at Kasumi, looked at her eyes, there was something she recognized, steely determination. Ukyo realized she could probably break Kasumi's arm and she'd still fight.

"You're not are you? I believe you would continue to fight." Ukyo was stunned, Kasumi really had the spirit of martial artiest.

"Yes, a martial artist has been born this fight. Kasumi has defeated the greatest enemy any martial artist will face, her own doubt, fears, and even her own body. I'm sorry Ukyo, Kasumi for this test. I know you were uncomfortable with my request, but thank you for doing it." He got up and walked up to Kasumi to address her directly. "I am sorry to test you in this manner Kasumi, but I needed to know if the person I plan to leave Miyagi-Do to is the right person. If you accept that is."

Kasumi was indecisive for the barest of moments before she bowed deeply and answers. "I would honored to be responsible for carrying on Miyagi-Do, master." Mr. Miyagi smiles a genuine smile of hope and pride.

"Come ladies, I'm sure you both want to get cleaned up, then we can celebrate this momentous occasion." Mr. Miyagi exited the dojo as Kasumi was about to follow, Ukyo stopped her.

"Look Kasumi, I just want to apologize for everything I said, Mr. Miyagi said to do anything I could to get you to quit. I've always liked you and I don't you to hate me."

"I can't hate you for vocalizing my own self-doubts, actually I should thank you, you allowed me to beat them figuratively if not literally. (wink)" Ukyo shook her head as Kasumi walked off. She may have the soul of a martial artist, but she was definitely still Kasumi.

Saotome Household

Nodoka was wondering why her mother hadn't called back yet, she usually calls with in a few hours, at longest, of when she called. Maybe her mother was finally tired of coming to her aid, she said so, just as many times. She almost dropped her tea when she heard a knock at the door, she wasn't expecting visitors. She answered the door to find;

"Father, Mother!"

"So, are you going to stand there gaping daughter or are you going to invite us in?"

"Of course Mother, come in, I'll fix us some tea. How are you and father doing?"

"We are well, but confused. Ever since you married that fat louse of a husband, the only reason you ever called was for more money, but when you called this time we checked your account and you still had plenty of money, so the only reason besides money we thought you would be calling is an emergency. Is there a emergency?," her father asked.

"Well no, not as such."

"Why did you call then 'Doka-chan, are you finally divorcing Genma?" Her mother asked with hope in her voice.

"What! No, I would never do such a thing it's..."

"Yeah, dishonorable, I let you read too many damn samurai novels as a girl." Her mother brushed off her concerns.

"You wouldn't understand, you're not Japanese," Nodoka yelled.

"Ladies, I tired of hearing this argument the first time I heard it, so you can imagine how sick I am of it hearing it for hundredth time. Nodoka, your mother is not Japanese, I don't care and you shouldn't either. Sally, I've taught you what honor means to us, it is extremely important and you know that, but even I'll admit that 'Doka-chan takes it to the extreme. Now, before we get sidetracked again, why _did_ you call?" Both mother and daughter looked like they both wanted to continue this _very_ old argument. Hinge really was tired of playing referee between these two. Nodoka was still staring daggers at her mom and Sally was doing it right back, these two were stubborn. "Doka-chan, the call?"

"Oh, right umm, got good news and bad news." Both parents gave her bland looks, last time she had 'good' news she announced she was pregnant at 16 and marrying that loser Genma. If 'Doka-chan thought that was good news, they really weren't looking forward to the bad news. "The good news is that Genma and Ranma came back from their training trip. The bad news is they came back... changed. I didn't react to it very well and umm..."

"Yes daughter," her mom says concerned.

"Uh, well, I didn't treat Ranma so good after they got back and..."

"And what," her mother said with some venom in her voice.

"Well I might have drove him away because of my treatment of him."

"You what? First I don't see my grandson for eleven years because you send him with that fool, then when he gets back, you don't contact us!" A really dark look came across her face. "How long was he back before he left, daughter?"

"I have known they were back six months, but they were here for a year." Nodoka took a shuddering breath. "Hiding from me."

"Six months, six months you could have called us, and why daughter, would Genma and Ranma hide from you?" Nodoka drew the Saotome honor blade out of its sheath far enough to reveal a note wrapped around part of the blade, she unwrapped the note and took a sorrowful look at it before handing it to her mother.

Hinge and Sally shifted closer together to read the small note. The first time they read it, there are looks of disbelief, so they both read it again and again. Hinge stopped after his third read through and sat back with cold disappointment written across his face. Sally continued to read it over and over again, getting redder in the face and more furious each time. A boiling point was reached when Sally wadded the note up and threw it at Nodoka's face and reached across the table, slapping Nodoka across the face hard enough to knock her to the floor. Sally screamed with tears rolling down her face, "Why, why would you agree to this? Why would you kill your own son, my grandson, over something as stupid as 'manliness'. Why?," the last was said as a bawling scream as she turned and cried into her husbands chest as he wrapped his arms around her. Nodoka sat back up slowly with a bloodied lip. She watched as her father comforted her mother. Her father looked her in the eyes.

"Nodoka, I have held out hope for you for a long time, but right now I am severely disappointed in you." The words from her father hurt far worse than any physical attack from her mother. "Why have you decided to show us this note now. It appears that Ranma 'signed' that agreement before he could even write, which means you have possessed that note for more than fourteen years, why show us now?"

"I am wrong, have been wrong about a great many things. I called you for help. I want to know if I can fix my relationship with Ranma, I want to know if you can teach me to be a real parent like you were to me." Nodoka had her face down in shame while saying this and did not see her parents moving around the table to comfort her.

"We will do everything we can sweetheart." Her father said while hugging the two most important women in his life.

Intensive Care Ward of Tokyo General

Ryoga woke and instantly felt his injuries. He took stock of himself and groaned with resignation that, at least for the foreseeable future, he was going to be stuck in this hospital bed. While redirecting his Ki flows to his most sever injuries, he thought about where it all went wrong. Ranma wasn't the only one who wanted change their life. Just a week before their fight, Ryoga asked Akari to marry him, she agreed with one condition, she wanted him to bury the hatchet with Ranma. Apparently, she thought that Ryoga should only have one commitment in his life. So he had to choose between his feud with Ranma and a happy marriage to Akari. To his shame he actually had to think about it. However, after Akari's pet sumo pig punched him in the head, he decided on her, but before she accepted, he had to talk to Ranma. Unfortunately with Ryoga's epic bad luck, he found the temple of the cursed battle dogi. He fought against its influence for awhile, but it was no good, its power was too seductive, too tempting. The dogi came with power and uncontrolled aggression and arrogance. By the time he found Ranma, he was completely out of control. Even though he was now laid up for at least two weeks, maybe three, he owed Ranma for freeing him from that thing.

Hikawa Shrine

"I don't see what the problem is," Rei stated.

"Ami has blocked all our phones and isn't answering her communicator and you don't have a problem with that," Usagi loudly whined.

"She was annoying and didn't have anything in common with the rest us. She was practically worthless as a scout, if she wants to quit, I say we let her," Rei shouted back

"Mina, Makoto, what do you think?" Usagi asked hoping they would want to extend an olive branch to Ami.

Makoto just shrugged being noncommittal. Mina looked thoughtful for a second before saying, "I am sorry she heard us and she left the way she did, but I think it would have happened eventually, we're just too different. Think about it guys, we were already drifting apart. When was the last time we talked to the 'outers', six, maybe eight weeks? Besides this meeting and the one Ami called, when was the last time the five of us got together, huh? We've already broke up into two groups, Usagi, you and Rei hangout all the time. Makoto and myself, we go shopping and look at boys all the time. I figured Ami would have left before now."

"So that's it, the scouts are breaking up?" Usagi said in a voice devoid of all emotion.

Mina just nodded in confirmation and she and Makoto just left. Usagi looked distraught and Rei tries to comfort her.

Negaverse

"Finally, what took you so long to report, Malatif?"

"Forgive me master, but creating the youma to capture the girl is proving difficult."

"It is always difficult dealing with Ki adepts. They're always so... unpredictable. How long until you're done?"

"Your specifications for the new youma are complex, master, it'll be five days at best. If we had more energy, we could have it done in half the time."

Jadeite grabbed Malatif by the throat, "We will not turn up the collectors, we are under the radar right now and I want to keep it that way. Take the extra time if need be, keep making more standard youma and troopers. When _I_ am ready, we will invade earth and succeed where all others have failed." Then he drops her hard to the ground, "leave!"

Mizuno Household

Saeko was getting extremely worried. When the bright yellow glow enveloped them both, they seemed to pass out. When she tried checking vitals, the glow stopped her from actually touching them. She was put in the terrible position of having to watch and not be able to do anything. As the time passed she watched closely for any sign of change. For many minutes nothing happened. Saeko was getting really anxious to do something, to call somebody, but who do you call when an experimental Ki technique goes wrong. As Saeko was about to go out of her mind something changes, the yellow glow around Ami intensifies greatly then Ami and Ranma get a strange glowing heart with a 'V' on the top and a cross on the bottom appearing on their foreheads that fades slowly.

A Random Dive Bar somewhere in Japan

Setsuna Meiou sat at the bar drinking a large beer. A bartender named Hammond approaches one of his repeat customers. A really nice lady, but when she gets drunk, she talks crazy. He wonders what he'll hear today.

"Hello Setsuna, what brings you here this time?"

"Just a completely destroyed future." She took a rather long swig of her beer.

"Oh, what happen to that promising future for all man kind you're always going on about?"

"Something stronger please, good ole Jack Daniel's please." Hammond brought her a bottle. "Yes, a promising future for all of mankind _that's left._ To usher in that great utopia, all that must happen is for three quarters of all humanity to die." Setsuna let loose a quick, humorless laugh. "All I had to do to save humanity is to destroy my friends future and destroy a team I've spent the last ten-thousand years trying to bring back together, some trade off."

"I haven't heard of a reason yet for why you have both. Maybe, if you really dig in and try, you might be able keep them together. After all, if I can keep all those bull-headed idiots on my amateur soccer team together, I'm sure you can keep a team ten-thousand years in the making together."

"Even though you think I'm drunk or crazy, you always give good advice, thanks Hammond." Setsuna grabbed her bottle of Jack and walked out.

Thanks to all my Readers.

Reviews and comments are always welcome.

Thanks to my proof reader warfailz.


	8. Chapter 8

Hikawa Shrine

Rei sat in front of the sacred fire and tried to meditate but she hadn't been able to focus since last week, when her 'father' came by for a visit. Since he came she hadn't been able sleep and wasn't eating right and even she knew she was being grouchier than usual but right now she didn't care. Usagi knew something was wrong but respected her enough to know she would talk about it when she was ready. Problem is she didn't think she'd ever be ready.

(Flashback)

It was the beginning of school break and her father was due to visit for his yearly photo shoot to make himself look like the family man politician they all loved. She really hated election years, smiling for photo shoots showing up at events and fundraisers. She dressed as was expected in one of her best blouses and a very modest knee length skirt. Since her grandfather couldn't stand the man that married his daughter, she had to meet her father outside the shrine on the side walk. Today he was late, not a big deal, he often was. She watched up and down street for her father's limo but was extremely surprised to not only to see her father walking toward her but he was alone without his ever present personal assistant, or his ever present bodyguard that always gave her the creeps for some reason. Seeing her father completely alone just seemed so wrong, see was just so used to seeing him always in the middle of crowd. As he walked down the street she noticed several things about him. One he wasn't wearing one of his ridiculously expensive suits, two his face was contorted into his righteous anger face. The last time she saw him that angry his re-election campaign manager quit to work for his rival. She had a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach that his anger was for her.

"Rei."

Rei swallows a lump in her throat, "Father."

"That's what I thought too, but no."

"What, do you..."

"Your step-mother and I have been trying to have children since we married two years ago. Turns out I can't have children. Your mother cheated on me. Since you are not my child I will not see you again after today and I have removed you from the Hino clan rolls, goodbye Ronin."

(End flashback)

Unable to meditate, because of that horrible memory Rei opens her eyes to a terrible sight. The sacred fire was angry and dark, she had contaminated the sacred fire with her negative emotions.

"Grandfather, Help!" It doesn't take long before she hears the footsteps of her grandfather and Yuuichirou.

"My God Rei what you done? Rei get out of here! Yuuichirou and I will try to cleanse the sacred fire." Rei runs out of the sacred fire room and into her bedroom where she flops on her bed and does not cry, Rei doesn't cry. She does think about how horrible her life is thanks to her father, no, that's not fair he is a first class bastard but apparently like father, like daughter or close enough considering. Her father treats her like crap then she takes out her misdirected anger out on friends. Until finally she had none. That is until she became a scout. It was nice, at least when they weren't dying to save the world. But then her father, former father had to pull the ultimate 'dick move of the day'. Then being like the man that sort of raised her, she takes out her anger and frustration on Ami then the sacred fire. Damn it! If she spread her negative emotions to the sacred fire, then she probably spread them to her friends as well. She'd have to ask them all here for a spiritual cleansing. Having Miko abilities was a pain in the ass sometimes. Rei's grandfather walks into her room, he is covered in sweat and looks exhausted.

"This temple has guarded the scared flames for over 1500 years. 900 years ago the priest allowed the sacred flames to burn the temple down rather than extinguish the flame. But today I feared we might have to extinguish the ancient flame. Rei your Miko abilities are very strong but you MUST control them. You must also be self-aware enough to know when you don't have control and in those moments find help or in the very least stay away from 1500 year old magical flames." He smiles at the end trying to comfort her some.

"Sorry grandfather. You get the flame cleansed?"

"Yuuichirou is finishing up. He should be done in another hour or so. We won't be able to do any fire readings for the next few days while we watch for residual emotions in the fire. Now I have given you a lot of room in making your own mistakes and letting you deal with them yourself. Perhaps I gave you gave you too much room, made you feel you had to be too independent and I'm sorry. But I have never seen you so out of control, please tell me what's wrong." Rei looks at Grandfather and the care and love in his eyes, so unlike her former father.

"Remember when my father visited last week." Her grandfather nods. "He was alone, I guess he don't want others to hear his shame, he walked up to me and told me very bluntly that he and my step-mother have been trying to have kids since they got married. Apparently he shoots blanks because he disowned me right there on the spot and said he had me removed from the clan rolls making me Ronin."

"Oh God, Rei." Her grandfather hugs her tightly. "No wonder your upset, why didn't you tell me this when it happened?"

"I didn't want you to think less of mom, I know you lost her young and she meant the world to you. Your face always looks younger and lights up when you talk about her."

"I could never think less of your mother Rei, she was a wonderful person and a great Miko, she would help anybody and everybody, nobody had a bad word to say about her. What she saw your father I'll never know."

"Grandfather I may have also spread my negative emotions to my friends, they may need to be cleansed as well."

"I was going to ask you about that. Try to gather them all together as soon as possible, the quicker we do this the easier it will be."

"It may not be that easy I may have taken my anger out on Ami. I'm not sure she'll want to talk to me again, ever."

"If she is as good friend as you used to say, she will come when you explain it to her and don't worry about being Ronin. I would be proud to have you join the Imato family, that is if you want to?"

Rei tears up. "To have my mother's maiden name. That would be wonderful, thank you Grandfather."

Cat Café

Cologne cursed herself a fool. The Kuonji girl decided to leave after she did, but she actually got to leave first because she was smart and hired Nabiki to handle things for her. While Cologne in all her wisdom thought to save herself money and do everything herself. While she was saving herself money, the aggravation was nowhere near worth it. She has called the company that she leases their restaurant equipment from and the electric company, Gas Company, water company, Cable Company and the building owner and the only one to get back with her was the cable company. That's one utility cut off. She pinches the bridge of her nose, why it so hard to get stuff like this done. The only good thing is it gave her time to catch up on Shampoo and Mousse's long neglected training. She had Mousse doing accuracy exercises. Shampoo speed exercises. Both excellent martial artist in their own right, but she missed training Ranma. Teaching himself in the Chestnut roasting technique in a week, once he taught himself that fish trick. Cologne had never seen it taught like that in all her years. Learning the Heavenly dragon ascending in a week! It took more experienced warriors 6 weeks or longer just to master the soul of ice, let alone be able to perform a perfect spiral in battle. She wished she could stay in japan just to see what Ranma would get up to. That taming of the cat fist was most impressive. Wonder what other tricks he has up his sleeve, oh well, the responsibilities of an elder cannot be ignored.

Miyagi Dojo

Having rested for a couple days Ukyo was preparing to leave to continue her journey. She was glad she was able to help Kasumi, actually she admired the strength it took to stand up again and again. Ukyo placed her last item in her backpack and cinched it up. She placed it on her back and adjusted it for comfort. She has yet to find a position in which it was perfectly comfortable. She opens the guest room door to leave only to run Kasumi, literally.

"Come on! Another head butt! Really Kasumi! OW!"

"It was an accident this time! OW!"

"Accident or not it still hurts Kasumi. So why were in such a rush that you almost knock us both out?"

"I just returned from an errand and Master told me you were leaving already, I was hoping to talk to before you left. Looks like I made it just in time. Where are you going Ukyo? What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to walk where my feet take me, other than that..." she just shrugs.

Kasumi looks her right in the eyes, "Do you really want that?"

"No, not really but what other choice do I really have?"

"Stay with Mr. Miyagi and myself, I need someone to spar with regularly, someone who is strong. Watching Ranma showed me if I want to get stronger, I got to fight people stronger than me. Mr. Miyagi said your good enough to teach basic karate, we could work together. You could have a place here, Ukyo."

"Why are offering this?" Ukyo's eyes are glossy with unshed tears.

"I talk to Nabiki pretty often, and she told me about what happened. Do you want to talk about it?" Ukyo looks surprised for second and then just turns her head away in shame and embarrassment.

"Not really." Aggravation creeping into her voice. "Has Nabiki always too nosy for her own good?"

"Yes. But that's not the point right now, I want to know about you." Ukyo takes a deep breath.

"I'm ok, just mostly full of regrets. I regret listening to him as much I did. I regret caring for him as much I did. I regret loving him." Tears finally fall at the last line and Kasumi reaches over and pulls her into hug. Kasumi comforts the crying girl with a tight hug and comforting noises until Ukyo calms a little. Without releasing the hug.

"We are a lot like Ukyo. You played the part of Ranma's finance because your father told you that was your part and you played it well. But it wasn't you. I played the part of housewife, because I felt it was my duty as eldest sister. I played it too well. Sometimes I would forget it even was a part. But it wasn't me. Now we're both free from our roles and it's scary, we get to be ourselves, but sometime during our acting I think we forgot who that really is. I completely forgot until Ranma told me to create my own stories, to find my own adventures. Would you like to help me, and I help you. Just because we are finding our stories don't mean we have to do it alone." Ukyo just enjoys the positive human contact for a moment longer before she pulls away and considers the tall brown hair girl in front her.

"I see I have underestimated you in more ways than one Kasumi. Your right I have spent far too much of my life being part of Ranma's story, time to make my own. I wouldn't mind doing it here with you and Mr. Miyagi, mostly just to see what other surprises you were hiding behind that mask of yours."

Kasumi straightens up and puts a mischievous smile on her face. "Wouldn't you like know." Winks and walks out of Ukyo's room. Ukyo just shakes her and proceeds to unpack her backpack. 'It didn't fit right anyway.' She thinks to herself.

Two Blocks down from Alphonso's schools for dance

Akane was confused. She followed the address on the card to what looked like an old abandoned boxing training hall. The windows were dusty and the sign out front that said 'Rocky's' it looked like it was about to fall off the building. Akane shrugs, she's got nothing else to do for the next two hours. She knocks on the door. Through the thick dust she sees a beautiful women in workout clothes wave, telling her to come in. Akane pulls on the door to open it but it doesn't budge. Thinking its locked she yells 'locked' at the women. But the lady just shakes her head and waves her in, again. Akane pulls on the door again, and nothing. She blows her bangs in frustration and looks at the old door. She is surprised at what she sees, the hinges are rusted and corroded badly. See looks on around and sees that the old metal door is rusted on nearly every square inch except for a few random spots of green. Akane yells at the lady, "Is there another way in?" The lady just shakes her head in the negative and waves her in again. Akane thinks to herself 'There is no way princess their came in this door!' Whatever, nobody, not even a door made of solid tetanus is going to stop her from getting special training. She grabs the large metal handle pulls this time using her considerable strength. At first nothing happens, so Akane puts all she has into it and the door starts to groan and creak. Suddenly the ear torturing sound of metal ripping and tearing is heard and the door moves slowly open. Sweating from the exertion Akane moves through the small opening she created.

"Congratulations Akane Tendo you passed the first test to receive special training."

Akane was still was still puffing from the effort. "Did YOU pass through that door?"

"Of course. Everyone in this building opened the door themselves to get in here. Just so you know everyone also SHUTS the door behind them, after all it is rude to leave it open. Since you're not technically a member yet I'll close it for you since you're so tired already and you still have other test ahead." The tall athletic blonde walks up to the door puts two fingers on the edge and shoves it shut with a loud slam. Akane has shivers dancing up and down her spine at the casual display of power the likes of which she can only remember being used by servants of Herb or Herb himself. Then their was the Phoenix King, the self-proclaimed god. Of course the less she thought of that the better. "Please follow me Akane Tendo."

"Where's Alfonso?" Akane ask out of hope in seeing a familiar face which would be nice since she was wading way out of her depth without the safety net of knowing Ranma was around.

The lady spins around with an amazing amount of grace to look at Akane. "I know this might be strange to you, but you get used to it, should you pass that is. Fonsie is a friend but not a member so he is not allowed to be here right now. But don't worry nobody will hurt you here outside of sparing." She spins around again walking further back into the building.

Something about how the lady was moving was throwing Akane off. She had a body of dancer and the strength of 2 Ryogas. Sometimes she moved like dancer other times a martial artist, this lady was very confusing. The lady leads Akane deep into the building where an old but obviously maintained sparing area has been set up with three bored looking people standing around. The lady moves over to where the others stand. She starts introductions, "Akane Tendo we are the four Masters of Ryozanpaku. The man to my farthest to my left is Mikhail Baryshnikov Master of the Russian ballet and Kung Fu Master. Beside him is the man simply known as Saenchai, Master of Ballroom dancing, and world class Muay Tai Master. Next is Carter "Fever one" McGlasson award winning break dancer and the world's finest Capoeira Master. Last but not least, I am Misty Copeland world renowned ballet dancer and Tai Chi Master. If you haven't already guessed we are the very best in our fields of dance. However we all achieved greatness in our chosen fields far too soon to feel any sense of accomplishment. All of us felt something was missing from our art. Fever was the first to find the missing component to our art in the martial arts. I'll let him explain."

"As misty said I was a break dancer first, I had won many awards and was at the top of my field but I knew I could get better that breakdancing could be better. I knew it could be better but I didn't know how to go about doing it. I did everything I knew to do. I visited every expert in the field, teachers, performers, I even approached respected street performers. They all told the same thing, 'There's nothing they could teach that I didn't already know.' I was getting frustrated until by complete happen stance I ran across a You Tube video of someone practicing Capoeira. I knew as soon as I saw it, I knew that was what was missing. A martial art that completed my own art. From the moment I started practicing capoeira my break dancing improved, and improving my dancing improved my capoeira. It was an amazing act of synergy. A few years later I met Misty, our stories were amazing similar. She was the best of the best but she too knew she could be better. Misty found her missing piece in Tai Chi. A few years later we met Mikhail who had the same story. Mikhail then met Saenchai who felt the same as all of us. We would often get together share stories and experiences, sometimes dance, sometimes spar. It was Mikhail who came up with the idea of a retreat, a place to come and train away from everything. Unfortunately we let Saenchai name it, we didn't know he liked anime at the time. Now as to why you are here. Fonsie is a friend of Misty's apparently they go way back. When you came to him he saw your amazing skill and how easily you picked up techniques and complex movements. He contacted Misty, even sent a short video. We all watched it and after much discussion decided to offer you an opportunity. Once you pass two more test, we will offer you the chance to become the first disciple of Ryozanpaku. If you accept of course." Akane wanted to snicker about the name of their dojo but all she could think about was, not one master but four masters of dance _and_ martial arts could end up training her. While dancing had filled a void in her, she had held out hope that one day she might continue her martial arts training. Now she had the opportunity to do both. She steeled herself, she was going to pass these test.

"I'm ready for the next test, masters." Akane said with more confidence than she felt. Misty stepped forward to address her again.

"This test is easy you must pick with one of us to spar, the choice you make determines whether you pass or fail."

Her choice determines whether she passes or fails! What kind of test is that! She has no idea what the right or wrong answer might be. She never heard of test like this at all! She had to be meant to pass, it must be her destiny or she wouldn't be here right now! "I choose Misty!" Misty smiles.

"You pass. It was a test of courage you couldn't be afraid to face us or be afraid to fail if we are to train you. Are you ready for the final test Akane Tendo?"

"Yes Master!" Akane was elated, she was one step closer to a dream come true.

Misty smiles again but not the friendly smile she has been using, this one is more calculating, more cold. "Then ready yourself Akane Tendo, you will spar me and to pass all you have to do is stay on the mat for thirty consecutive seconds." Akane swallowed a rather large lump in her throat at the challenge. If she wants me to stay on the mat for only thirty seconds, she is going to make it difficult. Akane came ready all she had to do was remove the loose shirt she had over a tank top. Apparently Misty was nowhere near ready because Akane waited several minutes for her to arrive. When Misty came from the dressing room she was dressed in a very professional dancer's practice uniform. It was a skin tight leotard that covered her from her feet to her shoulders and it looked like it had toe shoes built into the feet. Akane bowed deeply showing her respect and Misty bowed back. Akane took a quick Kenpo stance waiting for Misty to make the first move. Misty bounces on the balls a couple times before she goes en point and quickly swings her left leg into a devastating spin kick that catches Akane completely off guard. Akane hits the mat so hard that she bounces off and hits the floor, hard. Akane opens her eyes and a wave of dizziness hit her along with blurry vision. Remembering what's at stake she quickly gets back up on her hands and knees, then up on one knee. She rubs her eyes to try and relieve the blurriness. It helps some and she stands and walks unsteadily back to the mat.

"You're going to have to hit me harder to keep me off this mat!" Akane retakes her Kenpo stance and try's to focus everything she has left to staying on this mat. Misty nods in slight respect for Akane getting back and retakes her stance.

Again Misty bounces on the balls of feet but this time on the third bounce Akane rolls forward letting Misty's second spin kick pass through empty air. "You dodged my attack? How?"

"Luck. You attacked last time after the third bounce, I guessed you would do it again. I was right. You are light years ahead me in skill and power. It's easy to become overconfident when there's that big of difference."

"HA! Apparently you didn't rattle her brains as much as you thought you did with that kick Misty. Old Russian proverb, 'Don't try cooking the bear until it is dead.'

"Shut up Mikhail. I know it's not over, till it's over. That was smart Akane. Obviously I underestimated you with how easy I got that first kick in. Don't worry I'm taking you more seriously." Akane thought back to how many times she screamed 'Take me serious' to Ranma. Now she really, really regrets those words. Akane's only warning was a single bounce before another screaming fast kick came in. Akane got a partial block up with her arm, however it did little good when the second kick came in from below her arm which sent her rolling across the mat and off the edge. Akane's arm and shoulder throbbing with pain from the poor block attempt but that was nothing compared to the screaming, mind numbing pain coming from her side where second kick got threw. Then it came to her like a light bulb. All of Misty's attacks have been kicks. She's a professional ballet dancer, of course she would favor kicks! Akane got up with far more purpose this time, with a plan in mind she takes her kenpo stance. When she sees Misty's heel start to rise she springs into action. Akane uses all her available speed to streak in for an upper cut. It is, of course, a feint to get Misty to abandon whatever attack she was readying. Akane quickly puts her plan into action. Akane dives and wraps herself around one of Misty's legs like a shy toddler. The moment was so surreal no one moves for second. Misty stands stunned until she try's kicking Akane off. When it fails she try's punching Akane off. While severally painful Misty's punches didn't hurt near as bad as her kicks.

"Time! Misty stop!" Fever yells. Misty stops but Akane is still holding on for dear life. Misty tries turning Akane's head so she would at her but Akane's eyes are closed. "Akane you can let go you passed, you stayed on the mat 30 seconds." Misty pleads. Akane finally cracks an eye open then let's go falling to mat in a boneless heap.

"Where did you learn such an…odd move Akane." Fever ask.

"Years ago when father still taught, there was this boy that was so stubborn and pig headed. Father challenged him thinking that the master challenging him would make him settle down and listen. However he was pig headed and accepted. Father planned on beating him easily and sending him away. But the little monster did the same thing I just did and father couldn't get him off without really hurting him. So after 30 minutes they finally called it a draw. I only had to hold for thirty seconds so I thought 'why not'."

Mikhail lets loose a hearty belly laugh "HA! Old Russian proverb, 'never try to predict the unpredictable'."

"What happened to this pig headed child?" Fever ask.

"He became one of my father's best students, until father quit teaching."

Negaverse

Malatif was reading a progress report on the new youma Master was having her make. The design was complex but she figured out much of the 'why' things were being built a certain way after thinking back on her fight with the annoying girl. But there was one thing no matter how she looked at it she couldn't figure out what it was for. It appeared to be some kind of intentional energy leak. The way was it set up the leak would use up an astounding amount of energy. Lest the project fail she must bring this up to her master. She gathers her information and starts to walk to her master's chambers. Trooper youma were everywhere now. Malatif hated them, unless you had a massive amount of them, they were useless. Easily destroyed by even the weakest Scout. But if you have 100 attacking one scout, easy win, and they had hundreds but she still didn't like them. Malatif knocks on her Master's door and waits.

"Come in Malatif, what is it?" Malatif flinches at his brusque manner.

"Master I think there might be a problem with the special youma design."

"Really what problem would that be?"

"There seems to be some kind of energy leak built into it that will use most of its energy…." Malatif stops as a bolt of dark flashes into existence in Jadeite's hand.

"You remember I made those youma plans don't you?"

"Yes! Yes! Master of course. I only wish to see the success of the mission, Master. That's the only reason I bring this up. Please Master I only want to serve as best I can." Malatif's quick word play seemed to help a bit as the dark energy blast dims, slightly.

"I believe you, for now. What is this problem you think you found?" Jadeite lets the energy dissipate completely.

"There seems to be an energy leak built into the youma, master." The dark energy bolt springs back to life and Jadeite fires it at Malatif blowing off her right arm.

"You disturb me for this!? I designed it like that on purpose because our Ki adept can sense energy. The tainted energy coming from the youma should feel like something slimy rubbing against her soul, she'll come flying right into our hands. If that is all you had you just forfeited your right to live."

"No master, if, if the youma had a way to shut off the energy leak after engaging her it would increase our changes greatly!" Malatif hoped her quick thinking just saved her life. Jadeite tilts his head ever so slightly considering her words.

"Your right, fix your arm and get to work on it immediately."

Honda Household

"Are you sure this is necessary." Nodoka ask very unsure about this.

" 'Doka-chan were you serious about rebuilding a relationship with Ranma?"

"Yes, mother." She replies with some resignation

"Don't be ashamed sweetheart, you idolized your great-grandfather, and he saw a therapist quite often you know. The war left him with a lot scars."

"But I haven't been to war, you and father just say I have an unrealistic view of reality, which means you think I'm crazy." Nodoka states which great indignation. Sally leans over and with great compassion explains.

"Oh sweetie, we're all crazy, just some more than others. We just want to bring your crazy closer to ours, so we can enjoy each other's crazy." The sincerity in which her mother explained it halted any further argument. They waited in silence until it was there turn to see the therapist.

Mizuno household

Ranma cracks her eyes open to see the azure blue eyes of Ami staring back her.

"Thank God, your both awake! What happened?" Saeko ask with great worry.

"Not sure, it was really weird. Ami and I shared our life experiences. Ami used my Ki to break the technique and we're back here." Ranma says as she sets up. Saeko looks to Ami for a more thorough answer. Ami just looks at her mother and shrugs, saying no idea.

Saeko puffs in frustration. "Next time I ask you to try something new with Ki just remind me of this and say I have no idea about Ki rules ok? You both ok? When the yellow energy covered you both you passed out and glowed an intense yellow for several minutes. Until Ami glowed a brighter and even more intense shade of yellow for several minutes before a weird symbol appeared on your foreheads that faded right before you both awoke.

Ranma was shocked by Saeko's words. Ami glowed? Ranma assumed that Ami used Ranma's Ki through the connection she created with the healing technique. But if Ami was glowing that would mean that the Ki she used came from herself? That made no sense. Ami had no Ki training at all, she would have seen it in her memories. The Ki technique must have had some unforeseen side effect.

Ami was shocked by her mother's words. A symbol on their forehead's? Not good, not good at all. The scouts' planetary symbols often flare when they are under extreme stress. But she said BOTH their foreheads. Was Ranma from the Silver Millennium?

"That sounds weird, Mom. What did the symbol look like?"

"It was predominately heart shaped with a v at the top and a cross at the bottom. Why?" Saeko asked concerned.

Ami paled at the implication that they both had the Mercury symbol show up. They had to talk to Setsuna NOW. She was the closest thing to an expert they had. Think Ami, I need get us both to Setsuna.

"Ms. Mizuno do you know of a Dr. Ono Tofu in Minato. I think he moved to this district but I don't know exactly where. He's kind of a Ki expert, he might be able tell me what went wrong and if we can expect any side effects?"

"No I don't but the hospital keeps a registry of all the doctors in the area, I'll go call. You two, yell if anything changes or if you feel strange." Saeko runs down stairs to use her cell phone to call the hospital. As soon as Ami hears her going down the stairs Ami turns to Ranma and whispers.

"Ranma we really need to see Setsuna, before even your Ki expert."

"Isn't she that Pluto chick? And what's so important? We really need to find out how you were generating your own Ki."

Ami was little taken aback by that last comment, but she forged ahead. "Mom said you had the Mercury symbol on your forehead, only I should have that." From the look on Ranma's face she obliviously wasn't grasping the implications. "The symbol marks you as a magical girl Ranma." She knew that would get it threw to her as Ranma's eyes got huge and she turns a tad green around the gills. "I'm sure she'll have some answers for us Ranma, let me call her." Ami gets out her communicator and presses the symbol for Pluto. It gives her the alerting tone for several minutes. A bedraggled Setsuna finally answers.

"What is it Ami?"

"Setsuna we have a big problem, Ranma here had the Mercury symbol flare on her forehead, we were hoping you could help us out?" Ami Hoped she hadn't over sold Setsuna to Ranma. She wasn't always as helpful as she hoped in the past.

A sleepy and annoyed Setsuna came to full attention when her fogged mind finally grasp what Ami said. Setsuna quickly shut the communicator off.

"That wasn't helpful at a…." Ranma wasn't able to finish her sentence until a bright light engulfed them, followed by a wave dizziness and disorientation.

"Sorry about the teleportation but I needed to get you here ASAP. Welcome to the Time gate, don't wonder around unless you want to get lost in the eddies of time forever. It's going to take a few moments for me to catch up on the last few days of both your lives, so if you won't mind standing their quietly for a few minutes." Setsuna no sooner finished then she turned her attention to the ancient magical device.

"She always like this?" Ranma ask still trying to get her nausea under control.

"Actually this rather friendly for her." Ami responds only doing slightly better than Ranma from having experienced teleportation before.

"You realize I can hear you right?" Pluto says without ever turning her attention away from the gate.

Both girls are embarrassed, Ami pushes past it to ask, "My Mom is going to worry about us missing. We need to get back Pluto."

Sigh "We are outside time here, I'll be able to send you back seconds after you left without her ever being the wiser. Now shush! You have no idea how hard it is focus a device that controls time and space on a single individual."

Ranma gets very fidgety after a few minutes never being one for patience. She leans into Ami tries to whisper quietly.

"Didn't they say in school Pluto wasn't a planet anymore?" Ami just smacks her forehead. Why did Ranma have to bring that up? It was a real sore spot with Setsuna. Setsuna is suddenly hunched over looking extremely depressed. Ami steps forward pulling Ranma with her.

"Don't listen to that stupid Neil deGrasse Tyson guy Setsuna, he don't know what Pluto is really like and no body but us knows that all of the planets used to support life. We all told you before that we will work hard to bring Pluto's status back." Ami turns to Ranma trying to get him to back her up.

"Yeah Pluto must be planet don't hear of no sailor asteroid or nuth'n." A dark aura starts to surround Setsuna.

"If I ever see Neil deGrasse Tyson it'll be the last time. Oh Crap! Ranma did you surround yourself and Ami in a Ki field?"

"Yeah."

"Did you see the key events of each other's life that makes you who you are?"

"…yeah" they both answer. Setsuna pinches the bridge of her nose for several minutes before she starts rubbing her temples while pacing. Ami and Ranma look at each other dumbfounded at the eldest senshi's behavior.

"Where do I begin?! First thing is Ranma, never ever under any circumstances use your Ki such a manner again. Had Ami not been compatible with your Ki you would killed her instantly. Second Ami, congratulations, you've done something that has only happened one other time in all of recorded history. You shared a very tiny piece of your Senshi star seed with Ranma here."

Ami's sharp intellect kicks in. "The Mercury Knight was the last time wasn't it?" Setsuna simply nods, expecting Ami to somehow have read ancient Silver Millennium lore. "Why wasn't this part listed with the other data about the Mercury knight?"

"Simply because of how powerful the Mercury Senshi and Knight became when they linked. They didn't know it at first but somehow, when a powerful magic user and a powerful Ki adept trade tiny portions of their souls it creates a link between them that increases the effectiveness of both their attacks and defense. Also something about this link causes the recharge rate of Ki and magical attacks to shorten. Before you ask, they never found out why but the prevailing theory was that the link allowed Ki and magical fatigue to be shared between the two of them."

"What's the draw back? Something that good doesn't come for free." Ranma states.

Setsuna nods raising her respect for the redhead slightly. "Which brings us to the reason for making this process a top state secret. The process that linked The Mercury knight and The Guardian of Mercury was never replicated and ended in the death of all the volunteers every time they tried. When the death of last couple was brought to Queen she ordered the research destroyed and all information pertaining to the knight and guardian sealed. You two were very lucky to have survived but know this, you are bound together, mentally, spiritually, emotionality, and physiologically. Also one rather sever side effect is you two cannot venture very far from one another. If you get to far apart you both will fall very ill and it was never confirmed but you will probably die. I'm sorry I wish I had better news. Of course we now have the added complication of Ranma being female and having a tiny part of your star seed Ami."

"You think Ranma might be able to transform?" Ami ask curious for her new friend.

Setsuna runs her hands through her hair and drops her hands in frustration. "To be honest Ami, I have no idea, like I said this only happened one other time in history and then the Ki adept was male so we are treading new ground here."

Ami and Ranma look at each other before Ranma says, "Guessing you don't know about my curse then, you see I'm only a girl when you add cold water, hot water makes me a guy again."

Setsuna looks at Ranma blinks and looks at her again before see turns back to the Gate of Time for several minutes she does nothing until suddenly breaking out in a string of curses that causes Ami's ears to a very dark red. "So you're a victim of a sacrifice reactor transformation magic?"

"If that's a fancy way of saying the cursed springs, yeah." Ranma replies not really sure of what Setsuna said.

Again Setsuna rubs her temples with considerable force. "This couldn't have come at worse time. I'm working on a huge problem right now. I don't need to worry how blood magic will interact the white magic that Senshi use." Setsuna lapses into incoherent muttering while pacing. Ami and Ranma can pick out words every once in a while. Mostly they hear 'inconceivable', 'stupid Tyson', and 'Jack Daniels'.

Ami braves the Pluto breakdown train. "Setsuna. Setsuna! Do you any recommendations before you send us back?"

"Huh? Yes. Ranma if you think you can transform or it looks like you can, DON'T! I have no idea what would happen if you did. Nothing could happen but it's also possible your magic's could interact in a catastrophic manner and vaporize you instantly also killing Ami or the Mercurian magic might just lock you as female trying to 'fix' the curse. So just don't, ok?" Ranma nods her head violently not liking any of those scenarios. In another flash of light Setsuna is alone again the bubble of infinite space/time. She takes the time to absorb the new complication in her life by banging her head softly against the time gate. Why didn't she just say no when the Queen offered her the honor of becoming the time gate guardian. Young and stupid, young and stupid are her thoughts before she gets to work trying fix the future she saw for her friends if things continue the way they were. Plus she had to make sure Ami's soul mate didn't die due to the white magic she/he now possessed. She was glad she didn't let that part slip, no need to add the pressure of being soul mates to the two youngsters. They already had way more on their plate than any one person needed.

Back in Ranma's room there are two flashes of light before two girls are dropped midair onto Ranma's bed. They bounce twice causing one them to hit the clock/radio on the night stand causing The Power of Love by Huey Lewis and The News to play. Hearing the noise Saeko comes running back up the stairs to see two girls laying haphazardly across the bed.

"Ami what have I told about jumping on the bed!" She yells with a great voice of authority. "Always tell me so I can join in!" she says as dives between Ami and Ranma causing them all bounce several more times as they all laugh and giggle and play for several minutes just enjoying the moment. They finally stop after Ami gets off the bed to turn off the radio after a really annoying American pop song comes on.

"American music sure is weird, 'What does the fox say?' really?" Ami just shakes her head.

"I'm with you Ami, what are they thinking over there, if this is a hit with them?" Saeko just didn't understand Americans. "Well, that's enough goofing we need to get you two over to Dr. Ono Tofu's place. You sure have some friends in odd places Ranma-chan. You know he was absolutely refusing to see us because he said his schedule was full until I mentioned it was you, Ranma, then he nearly demanded I bring you two over immediately. I never worked with him before but apparently he has a stellar reputation with hospital. How do you know him Ranma?" Saeko ask as the three switch their house slippers for their shoes in the genkan.

"He is the only doctor I trusted before met you Ms. Mizuno." Ranma said not wanting to go into detail. Setsuna's warning was still ringing in her ears. To be vaporized just because she had two conflicting magics isn't how a martial artist should die.

Saeko was touched that Ranma trusted her already. If Ranma trusted this doctor, Saeko was willing to bet he was one other doctor to worry Ranma being abused. Maybe she could compare notes with him.

Ami was getting worried about Ranma, it almost felt like she could feel his worry and…. _disappointment_?

The ride over in the car was a quick one. Apparently they were meeting Tofu at his new clinic in Minato and it was just a few blocks from the apartment. Standing outside the clinic is a man in a brown gi wearing thick glasses.

"You must be Dr. Mizuno I have heard of your work, you're an amazing trauma doctor. Hello Ranma, what trouble are you in this time and who is this lovely lady?"

"Oh you know Doc, same ol', same ol'. This is Ami Dr. Mizuno's daughter. They were nice enough to patch me up, twice. But then they caught me using my healing technique and Ms. Mizuno ask if I could use it on others. I never thought about it but I tried to heal a cut on Ami's hand but I have no idea what I really did."

"Experimenting on people with untested Ki techniques, I'm disappointed Ranma. Come on in I'll need to give both a standard examination, along with a Ki reading. I'll need to do both your forms Ranma."

"Don't be hard on her, I ask her to do it and what do mean both 'forms'?" Saeko ask feeling like she was missing something.

Tofu flinches, "Sorry Ranma I didn't mean to out you."

"Its ok doc, I was planning on telling her today anyway." Ranma turns to Saeko. "I hope you don't feel like I was lying to you, but I'm not really a girl. This is a curse from I take when cold water hits me, I turn back with hot water." Ranma always hated this part waiting for their reaction. He almost wished some people would react quicker, the waiting killed her.

Saeko looked from Tofu to Ami to see their reactions to this strange confession. Tofu just seemed concerned as he seemed to move behind Ranma to lend support. Ami was standing to Ranma's other side watching her very closely. Ami didn't react which means she already knew.

"I believe in magic Ranma, hard not to with demons and Senshi running around this district but I've never heard of a water based gender curse. It just seems… unlikely." Saeko hedged not wanting to hurt Ranma's feelings by disbelieving her.

"It is very true Dr. Mizuno I will vouch for Ranma and we will demonstrate in a moment but let's get them situated in the exam rooms first, if you don't mind?"

"Yes of course." They get Ranma and Ami in exam rooms. Saeko takes Ami and Tofu takes Ranma just for quick physical examinations to make sure nothing is wrong. They check heart rate, breathing, circulation, eye, ear and throat. Saeko is rather disturbed at some of her findings. The two doctors meet back in the hall while the teens are putting on their shirts.

"Dr. Ono I am extremely worried about Ami, her heart rate was 28. But her circulation seemed good. The only person I know in the world with a normal resting heart rate is Miguel Indurain, a five-time Tour de France winner and Olympic gold medalist. The article about his amazing fitness was exceptional in The New England Journal of Medicine. But Ami struggles with her phys ed class."

"No Dr. Mizuno," Tofu says matching Saeko's professional manner, "You know two people with that extremely low heart rate, three counting Ami, Ranma has a low heart rate and respirations due to her amazing training in the art. What where her respirations?"

"Ten per minute but 99% O2 saturation. I don't understand it." Saeko says getting frustrated.

"I don't either but I think I'm getting a clearer picture. Want to help me get out to EKG machines?" Tofu ask

"Sure." Saeko ask wondering where Tofu is going with this.

Tofu gets Ranma and Ami hooked up side by side and they see something extraordinary. Ami and Ranma's heart rate, respirations were in perfect synch. Ranma looks at the EKG machines between him and Ami watching them beep in perfect harmony. He just lays his head back on the cot looking at Ami he says "What's the big deal?"

"The big deal is Ranma is that there are no two people in the entire world who should have perfectly synchronized heart rates. Differences in age, height, weight, even oxygen levels in the blood, or iron levels in the blood can effect heart rate. So two people might be in synch for at best a few moments before their differences cause them to fall out of synch."

"Oh." Ranma says.

"Well said daughter." Saeko says proud of her daughter for understanding all the nuances of the situation.

"Brilliant explanation Ami, but I think we have learned all we are going to learn from convictional medicine. Ranma do you mind standing against this wall and relaxing your Ki." Tofu ask.

"Sure Doc." Ranma gets up and relaxes her Ki by using the breathing exercises she was taught.

Tofu focuses his Ki to his eyes to give himself a clearer view of Ranma's aura. He didn't expect to see what did in a million years. Oh he saw what he normally did. Large bands of yellow running threw her aura showing her confidence. Then there was blue streaks of skill just behind the blue were the dark brown of the cat fist. Tofu looked on and saw the large pink bands of loneliness that where often interlaced with anger and sadness. Seeing the pain of someone he considered a friend almost knocked him out of his center, he had to take deep breathes. Now to examine the new addition a large pool of white aura floating right in the middle of Ranma's 5th chakra. It pulsed in a mesmerizing way. Tofu tried to probe it with Ki senses but it was like it wasn't there. He shook his head, interesting but staring won't garner any more answers. "Ranma I would like to read your aura with your other form if you don't mind."

"Ok doc. Ms. Mizuno would you hand me the tea pot and I am sorry for not telling you sooner. If you want me to leave after this I understand." Ranma says looking at the floor.

"Boy or girl you needed help and have proven to be an exceptional young person who has had a difficult life. You are welcome in my apartment for as long as you need Ranma." Saeko says with confidence.

Ranma gets hopeful look in her eyes while Ami looks at her mother proudly. She pours the hot water over head and nothing happens she has a shocked and scared look in her eyes for moment until she smacks herself in the forehead and removes the locking necklace that Cologne gave her. "Sorry forgot magical necklace." She says nonchalantly and starts to place it in her pocket, when Saeko stops her.

"That's no way to take care of a necklace Ranma it'll tangle or break in your pocket let me hold it ok." Ranma nods and pours the hot water over her head instantly changing her red hair to black and gaining height. Ranma looks up to Ms. Mizuno still worried about her reaction despite her earlier words. Saeko takes a couple steps forward and reaches a shaky hand out to touch Ranma's hair to check the reality of it. Once she touches his hair, she brushes a lock back that got loose from his pigtail and reaches around him quickly to bring him into a hug.

"You poor boy, its hard enough being a teenager without being a teen a girl as well. OH my goodness have you the 'talk' about your girl body needs?"

"MOM!" Ami yells in embarrassment.

"It's important that she um…he whatever, know these things." Saeko says in full doctor mode.

"Yes." Ranma answers in a very quiet voice completely beet red in the face.

Tofu clears his throat to get things back on track. "Yes well, I'm glad you finally took my advice about learning about your female body." Tofu says red in the face himself. "Let's continue." Tofu does the same as before, and gets the same result except for the new addition to Ranma's aura, it seemed dulled somehow. "Ok your turn Ami." She steps up to the place that Ranma occupied and tofu starts his reading. He really loved reading new peoples auras it was always so interesting and there always something new to see. Like this time, Ami's aura was very unusual. It gave off a strong feeling of cold water for some reason. Where Ranma's aura was mostly yellow, Ami's was white. But as everybody does, she had streamers laced threw out showing different facets of her personality. A massive band showing her intelligence, another caring, gentle, and loyal, as well as slightly insecure. Amazing what the aura told you about a person. Just like in Ranma her 5th chakra was a different Ki, but Tofu recognized the Ki immediately, it WAS Ranma's! A large ball of pulsing yellow Ki right there in Ami. That means the ball of pulsing white Ki was Ami's! "You can sit down Ami." Tofu says as turns and sits on an available stool. "I am surprised, don't know why I am, since it's you Ranma, you do surprising things hourly. I see what happened but I don't believe it."

"What's wrong Dr. Tofu?" Saeko ask worriedly.

"Nothing is wrong except for Ranma and Ami breaking every rule of Ki theory that I know. Somehow Ranma traded 5th chakras with Ami. Now Ranma's 5th chakra is inhabited by a self-sustaining white Ki that appears to be Ami's. Ami's 5th chakra is inhabited by self-sustaining yellow Ki that appears to be Ranma's. Which having any Ki besides your own in your aura should be deadly and definitely not sustainable but breaking rules seems to be Ranma's thing these days." Tofu runs his hands threw his hair roughly.

"Will there be any negative effects we should worry about doctor?" Saeko wonders.

"To be honest Dr., I don't why they are both not dead right know. I have no idea how having foreign Ki in them will affect them." for The second time that day Ami and Ranma listened to dire news about their current situation and everyone felt really unsure where to go from here or what to do. That is until Ranma's stomach growled loudly. Causing Ranma to look red in the face and Ami and Saeko to laugh and Tofu to smile.

"Seems like the beast needs another sacrifice, I know a good place nearby would you like to join us Dr. Ono?" Saeko said with some hidden hope.

"Call me Tofu please, any friend of Ranma's is a friend of mine." Ranma and Ami look between the two adults and smile a small smile. They end up at a small Chinese place called "The taste of wok". Ranma watched Tofu and Saeko get involved in doctor small talk while they ate. It quickly went over his head so he watched Ami enjoy her spicy pork buns. He thought it was really cute the way the spice made her cheeks flush.

" _Ranma_!"

" _OMG, Ami you heard that!?"_

" _Yeah, and, and I think your cute too."_ Ami wasn't sure where she finally confidence to say it but she was glad she did. Ranma turned beet red of course.

 _"_ _I like you Ami but you saw what my relationships with girls were like before, I don't know if I know how to have an even close to normal boy/girl relationship and I don't want to hurt you Ami."_ He heard Ami giggling and was hurt she would laugh at him.

" _I not laughing at you Ranma. Please know that I don't want to hurt you either. I'm laughing because you said 'normal'. Ranma I'm a magical girl from a kingdom 10,000 years dead. Whose last real relationship was with a dark general from the negaverse? Any relationship I ever have will not be normal, it couldn't be if it was to have any chance to survive. Honestly Ranma I like the fact you're not normal, it makes you interesting and complex. You've been in my mind, Ranma do you think I would honestly be satisfied with some simple man that had nothing more to him than wanting to get a promotion at his locale office? I like you Ranma, if you like me, give 'us' a chance. I will go slowly, as slow as need to feel comfortable. I have patience."_ Ami felt bold more bold than has ever felt in her life and it felt good. Was this the way confidence felt?

" _Thank you Ami. I think your right, it never felt right, never felt this good hanging around the other girls. This must be something and I think I would like to find out what it is_."

Tofu and Saeko had stopped talking some time ago in favor of watching the odd behavior of the teens. "Ranma what's going on? Ami and yourself have been staring at each other and smiling for several minutes. Are you two okay?" Tofu ask rather concerned for their odd behavior.

"What do you mean? Ami and I have been talking just like you two were." Ranma says confused

"You weren't making a peep, Ami either." Saeko says

"But we were talking plan as day I don't why you didn't hear us." Ami says. A thought full look came over her face for a second. Then she gets a notepad out and hands it to her mother. "Mom write something down on this and show it to Ranma but not me. When mom shows you the note pad, Ranma, I want you think about what is written their and look at me please." Ranma just shrugs his acceptance. Saeko writes something then passes the notepad to Ranma facedown. Ranma reads it puts it back and looks Ami in the eyes. After a second Ami rolls her eyes and says "Kill la kill. Really mom an anime name? It appears Ranma and I share a telepathic link as well, that is so smooth and easy that we didn't even notice. Amazing." she laughs "No I don't think it would Ranma."

"What is she talking about Ranma?" Tofu ask.

"I was thinking that she could die a red streak in her hair like the main character of kill la kill and it would be really cute." Ranma said kind of shyly, never been really comfortable trying to tease people.

"He's right Ami it would look good with your face and hair style." Saeko quickly agreed.

Ami felt ganged up on until a wicked thought came to mind. "Tell you what Ranma you let me put a white streak in your red hair and I'll put a red one in my blue hair." Ami did think it would look really, really cute on Rama-chan.

Ranma thought about it and why not came to mind. It would fade in a few weeks and he really wanted to see Ami's like that. "Okay, but you'll be really, really cuter." Ami starts at that and Ranma only points at his temple causing Ami to blush really deeply.

Ami was wanting to talk to Ranma about a few things before it got too late. "Mom you to think it'll be okay if we go ahead and walk back to the apartment?"

"Sure sweetie, I'd say be careful but Ranma's with you so I'll say if anybody bothers you try not to hurt too badly Ranma." Saeko says.

"I won't Ms. Mizuno." They step outside the restaurant onto the street. The street lights were already starting there slow warm up before it got dark. They walk for bit in companionable silence until Ranma says.

"What did you want to talk about Ami?" Ranma ask

Ami shakes her head this telepathy is going to take some getting used too. Which made her wonder. "Don't you mind the telepathy thing Ranma, I find it a little disconcerting."

"Naw not at all in fact I kind like it. I'm not good with words or explaining myself well. This way you can feel the intention behind my words. Like I did with you earlier, you didn't suggest I die my hair to belittle me or make fun of the fact that I turn into a girl. You suggested it because you didn't want to do it alone and you sincerely thought it would make my girl side cuter and I felt the joy you would get from that. If dyeing my hair would make you smile I'll do it gladly. You have a cute smile that makes my day Ami."

Ami blushes fiercely at Ranma's words. "Thank you Ranma. You are such a wonderful guy, I don't know why nobody saw it in Nermia." Ami feels Ranma's anger and frustration rise at the mention of Nermia. "Sorry I brought up bad memories." Ami says quickly.

"No it's ok, not your fault they didn't see me as nothing but a prize, a thing. Sorry Ami. Can we talk about something else?"

"Sure." Ami says quickly trying to think of something, but why is it when someone says 'think of something' your mind goes blank. Then she sees it. "Look Ranma the park is open again! The last Senshi battle really tore it up, I thought it would take them longer to fix it. Mind if we walk in the park for a while?"

"Sure I love parks, great for camping." Ami punches him arm and drags him to the park entrance. They walk around taking in the freshly repaired sidewalks and fountains. They even added the latest playground equipment for children to play. They walk towards a small pond and watch the koi jumping out to catch bugs for several minutes. "This is what I want Ami, this is why I left Nermia. Just this moment of peace here with you was worth everything I went through to leave."

Ami hugs Ranma as tight as she can. She wanted to do something to make this as good memory as possible when she remembered one of Ranma's memories. She smiles to herself. "Want some ice cream before we go back. My treat." She is surprised how much Ranma's eyes light up at the suggestion. She watches him carefully reach down to the pond and splash some water changing genders. She looks at him, now her oddly.

"It taste better as a girl." She says as explanation.

"Really? Like what." Ami ask fascinated by this unique opportunity to study gender differences in taste. Ranma tries her best to explain how texture and sweetness are affected by each form and is assisted by their telepathy. As Ranma reaches for thee handle to the ice cream parlor, she freezes.

" _Feel that_?" Ranma ask through their link

" _Yes is this the Ki drain you felt last time_?" Ami ask back.

" _Yes, call your friends I bet they aren't going to let this one go as easily as the first_." Ami discreetly hits the all call button on her communicator and activates the locater beacon on it. Then they head to the narrow alley so Ami can transform. When Ami transforms Ranma fills an almost violent rush of power filling her. When Ami finishes, she fills the power of Mercury in Ranma as well. They just nod to each other before they take to the roofs tracing the source of the life drain.

Negaverse

Malatif runs to her Master's chambers as fast her youma legs will carry her. She barges in the door knowing the info she has will be plenty to earn her forgiveness.

"Master! One of the trooper youma I left guarding the collectors just reported in. The Ki adept with a single Senshi is heading straight for a collector as we speak."

"Is the special youma ready?"

"Yes master finished charging just moments ago."

"Ha ha ha! Then it begins Malatif our first step to defeating the Senshi and claiming this world as my kingdom starts today! Gather 50 trooper youma, 5 battle youma and the one for the Ki adept. Port them in as close you can to the collector. Make sure to have the troopers attack innocent people, injure, don't kill they are still our living batteries after all. This drives the Ki adepts crazy and will severally distract the Senshi as well. I want you there as well, cloaked, do not engage. Even with overwhelming numbers we may not win. These damn Ki users are annoyingly resilient. If we don't win you will report in detail everything you saw. Understand?"

"Yes Master."

Thanks to all my readers.

I appreciate all the reviews.


	9. Chapter 9

Ami and Ranma are flying across rooftops at amazing speeds trying to find the location of the life drainer when things become far easier for them when a bright light flashes into existence blinding them momentarily in the dwindling light of sunset. Ami stops deploying her visor and computer with Ranma stopping right beside her.

"Shit!" Ranma is shocked to hear Ami speak like that.

"Ranma that is a portal to the Negaverse. We've only ever seen tiny portals before big enough for single person. This, This Ranma, is for an Army!"

"Time for army tactics then. I'll cloak us using my perfect thieves cloak and you gather intelligence so when we met your friends we can make a plan."

Ranma likes to think of himself as not that intelligent but he can be brilliant. "Sounds good what do you need me to do to be able to cloak?"

"Stay calm and stay close." Ranma pulls Ami as close to her as she can get. They are hip to hip causing each to blush a little from the close contact. Ranma takes a calming breath and expands his Ki then inverts it flow causing the world around them to polarize.

"This is amazing." Ami blurts out before she can help it causing the world around them to wavier.

" _Use our telepathy! Please stay calm, emotions inside the cloak can make it fail. When you're ready we will move together_." Ami calms herself with a couple of breaths

" _Ready._ " They slowly make their way closer to the large portal watching for signs of the enemy. They easily make it to a building overlooking the portal in the middle of the street. Neither Ranma nor Ami are prepared for what they see. Lined up in the middle of the street are three columns of youma five wide and more are joining them marching out of the portal. Ami connects her visor to her communicator to broadcast everything she sees to her team mates. She then text them to meet up at the Gypsy Joes ice cream parlor two blocks away to plan as soon they finish scouting. Ami waste no time in scanning the present youma. She almost breathed a sigh of relief at seeing how extremely weak they are. Seeing that there are now thirty standing in the middle of the street killed any joy she might have had at being able to destroy one with one of her punches. Their numbers slowly swell to 35 then forty.

" _Is any way we can close that portal before anymore get through_?" Ranma ask

" _I wish we could but I scanned the portal as soon as we arrived they are using the equivalent of 1.21 gigawatts of power every 10 seconds to keep it open. To force it shut we would roughly need 30% more power on our side to do that. 1.57 gigawatts isn't easy to come by."_

" _No would have been fine, just so you know. I don't even know what gigawatt is_. _Dang there's fifty of them now_."

No sooner had Ranma thought that than five more youma step through the portal. These five are much bigger and tougher looking. They remind Ranma of the one he fought on top of the building.

" _Actually these are slightly weaker than the one fought that day_." Ranma just looks at Ami confused for a second, she looks back with her finger pointed at her temple.

" _Right, not comforting, I barely beat that one. Now there's five of those guys plus fifty cannon fodder that could get in a lucky shot_."

" _You don't give yourself enough credit Ranma, you were heavily injured from another fight yet you defeated the youma_."

" _Part of being a martial artist is knowing your limits, this is way out of my league Ami."_

" _Then it's a good thing we got my team coming."_

" _Can we count on them? I mean they hurt you and they don't seem that trustworthy."_ Ranma ask worried the dependability of their back up and how they'll treat Ami as well.

" _Thanks for worrying, but we may not be friends but we are defenders of this realm they will be here_."

The five battle youma had lined up with the troopers when the portal fluctuates with the arrival of another youma. This was different from all the others. Seems they had completely forgone making it look human like most youma. This youma stood seven feet tall with no features on its stone like body but five vertical lines that ran down its entire head. It had four arms on a gray stony body. The only other oddity is it had a round tail on its bottom the same size as its head. It takes two steps away from the portal when slits like the one on its head open all over its body. Slits open down its chest, back arms and legs. A dark vapor slowly starts seeping from the slits then as if under pressure it starts spraying like steam from the numerous openings.

Ami starts analyzing the youma as soon as it stepped through the portal. It was completely different from anything they ever encountered before but Ami was confused, every other youma they had encountered before had been designed with massive magic resistance. This had no such defense but its physical and energy resistance was off the charts. It wasn't until Ami scanned the vapor emanating from the youma that everything snapped into place.

" _Ranma! Soul of Ice now_!" Ranma didn't know why Ami wanted her to do that now but she trusted her. Ranma didn't have to wait long to wait find out why. As soon as Ranma sensed the energy coming from the strange youma she almost wanted to scream. The wrongness of the tainted life force coming from it made Ranma want to do anything and everything possible to destroy it just make the feeling go away. If it wasn't for the soul of ice Ranma knew she would be in complete berserk mode right now and would have jumped willingly into that mess down there.

" _Thank you Ami. How did you know that THING would make me feel like this_."

" _Because Ranma, this is a trap for you. Come on we got to go meet the others and plan_."

They roof hop back to the ice cream place, to an odd sight, standing around the ice cream parlor are eight magical girls. Some were standing around talking, two looked like they were trying to keep a blonde out of the ice cream store, and one was messing with what looked like a short sword. They land close to the group.

"Did you guys get the video I sent?" Ami ask.

Usagi screams, "Ami are you a ghost!" Ami turns to her head to look at Ranma.

" _Sorry since we…uhh merged? It's been easier to use my special techniques, forgot I even had the cloak up_." Unfortunately Ranma drops her cloak while she is standing right next to Uranus, startling her. Things that startle Uranus usually end up getting stabbed by Uranus. Right after Ranma drops the cloak Uranus goes in for a straight thrust that Ranma side steps, then she straight punches Uranus's wrist knocking the sword loose and goes in for disabling gut punch which works well. However seeing her lover stomach punched doesn't sit well with Neptune who readies a deep submerge to take out the threat. Sensing an energy build up at her back, Ranma does a back flip firing a Mökö Takabisha at the pinnacle of her flip flatting Neptune. When Ranma lands she finds a bladed polearm at her neck. Saturn snuck up on Ranma without radiating any blood lust, anger, or any malice of any kind that Ranma usually watches for. Ranma finds the small short hair girl kind of scary.

"If you're done fighting the Mercury Knight think we can plan to fight the army the enemy has dropped on our door step." Pluto says in her best you're an idiot voice. Saturn lowers her pole arm with a quite 'Sorry'. "I told you that Mercury was out there with her Knight."

Uranus gets off the ground still holding her stomach. "You didn't the say the Mercury Knight was a girl! I assumed it would be a guy like Tuxedo!"

"That is your problem. I didn't say the Knight was a boy or girl. What you assume is your problem." Pluto says flipping some green hair over her shoulder and turning as if to say I'm done with you. Uranus just growls under her breath and goes to help Neptune up who just starting to move again.

"What did your scans find Ami?" Pluto ask clearly taking command and hoping to avoid any of the tensions that's cropped up in the group lately.

"It's not good Pluto. 56 total youma. The good news is fifty of them are troop youma, they are extremely weak and can be destroyed with a single punch. The problem being we have to overcome their numbers. Another problem is they have non-existent defense but they still can hit hard and from my scans have some kind of energy attack. Next we have the 5 attack youma, these are the pretty standard youma we are used to. Long and short range attacks, high magical defense, usually takes three combined attacks to down one. The last one is the purpose for this attack. It is a youma specifically designed to battle and trap my Knight."

"While she's cute and all but why do they want Mercury's Knight?" Uranus ask bluntly.

"We all know the Negaverse drains people of their life force for energy right?" The entire group nods. "Imagine if your average Joe's life force was a double AA battery, Ranma here would be nuclear power plant by comparison." Everyone but Pluto looks a little skeptically at Ranma over Ami's claims concerning the little red head's power.

"So what are going to do about that army sitting over their?" Rei ask impatiently. An awkward moment of silence passes as no is quite sure how to handle an army. So Ranma speaks up.

"I say we take the attack to them, their position is piss poor as far as strategies go. I think I can cloak up too two people and take them in with me to the building Ami and I scouted on. When I would drop the cloak, we would drop the hammer with our most powerful attacks. When we get all of the youma's attention on us Pluto can teleport the rest of the group onto the building opposite ours and unload into their backs before they know whats, what." Ranma explains.

"I'm impressed the old anvil and hammer play." Pluto says

"Hey I'm not sure about following the new girl, who ever she is into such a dangerous situation, she could be the bait for this trap!" Uranus voices her doubts.

Ami was really impressed with Ranma's battle plan but then Uranus had to throw her two cents in. Ami walks up to the much taller Sailor Uranus getting right up in her face.

"Listen here, in case you didn't get the memo Ranma is MY Knight I vouch for her not only with my life but with my mother's life as well because Ranma is living with us. If you still don't trust her, ask Setsuna. She brought Ranma and myself to the Time gate not too long ago. Unless you think Setsuna is in the habit taking enemies to the time gate, get, over, it!" Ami emphasis the last three words by poking Uranus in the chest. Uranus isn't phased in the slightest until Neptune points down to the ground in front her. A 3 foot diameter of ground in front of her is frozen, hard. No light frost, the ground itself is frozen. A chill makes its way down Uranus's spine.

Great, just great. Setsuna has spent all her energy these last few days trying to find the point in which the Senshi civil war breaks out and here she was watching her team fall apart one word at a time. "Excellent plan Ranma, I think you should take Saturn and Moon with you they are two of our heaviest hitters. The next question is who should be our primary targets?"

"The numbers are so stacked against us it's really hard to say. Do we take out the powerful ones first and then whittle the weaker ones down later or try to wipe out as many as the weakest ones as we can get first then try to battle the powerful when the field is clear?" Ami ask but is really just thinking out loud. She is interrupted by her computer beeping. "OH, oh no. The tainted life force is still going, radiating further and further out. This is bad. That one youma is designed to make warriors like Ranma go berserk and attack and get captured. Ranma is using a powerful technique to stay in control but I have no idea how many warriors could with stand the draw this youma has. Ranma how many Ki users are there in this area that you know of?"

"If I had to guess 5 maybe 6." Ranma states.

"We cannot let them be drawn into this fight! If the Negaverse gets there hands on one Ki user they could flood us with an army of youma. Our target has been set for us, Moon, Saturn target that large rock youma with everything you got. When we hear your first two attacks, Pluto will teleport us in." Everyone shuffles around to get in position. Ranma explains to the Senshi what they can expect when cloaked and what NOT to do. When everyone knows exactly what they're doing Ranma moon and Saturn leave to execute their plan. Traveling with two underneath her cloak slows Ranma some but not overly so. They arrive where the portal was to a surprise. The enemy was still there but they apparently had their own strategy. The large stony youma was now in the middle of a circle of it's comrades. On the inner most of the circle were the battle youma defending it. The outer rings were made entirely of the trooper youma. Ranma pulls them closer to her so they can whisper better.

"This makes it more difficult. To get to that youma in the middle we are going to have fire our attacks in stages. I'll go first, I'll attack and then change position to the right and continue attacking hopefully weakening this side helping your attacks get through, you go next Saturn then you go left and continue firing. Then it's your turn Princess give it your all. Cloak drops in three. 3…2…1!" Ranma fires her Mökö Takabisha with all the power she dared put into it with a long battle possibly in front of her. She is a little disappointed seeing she only takes out five troopers in the front. She quickly takes off to the left throwing smaller Mökö Takabisha from each hand. Destroying two more. Saturn steps up letting loose her attack cutting a line threw the asphalt and10 youma in front barely misses an attack youma and cleaves an arm off the stony youma before passing on threw and killing 7 more troopers before continuing its path of destruction across the road and empting the rest of its energy on an empty desert store. This only makes Ranma more cautious of the small gothic looking girl. The arm that falls off the stony youma cracks and burst like smoke grenade enveloping the battle field in a thick cloud of tainted Ki. A thick cloud that is quickly dissipating and spreading further and further out. Moon lines up for her attack and lets loose with an extremely powerful but extremely poorly named attack in Ranma's opinion. The attack washes over the battlefield obliterating anything it touches until it gets to stony. As soon as it touches stony's skin the entire youma explodes momentarily blinding everybody, youma included. Just like before the tainted Ki quickly dissipates. Flowing outward spreading all over Tokyo and the surrounding cities.

"Oh no!" Ranma could feel that release of tainted Ki threw her entire body. Anybody with any Ki sense with in a hundred miles would feel that.

Tokyo General Hospital

Ryoga feels the powerful release of tainted Ki. Feels like insects crawling all over his skin. He don't know how but he is sure Ranma is involved somehow. He may still be hurt but every fiber in his body was telling him to seek whatever that was out. He hoped Akari forgives him for wondering off. She seemed to be really be enjoying being able to find him every day when she visited.

Ryōzanpaku

The four masters are pleased at the progress of their new disciple. Akane is currently passed out on a couple of stacked practice mats after 8 hours of dance practice followed by 8 hours of martial arts training. Misty was about to pick her up to carry her to her home again tonight when the tainted Ki rolls over them. The Masters look at each other and with some unspoken signal they all disappear heading toward the source of the taint.

Miyagi Dojo

The three residents of Miyagi Dojo are sitting down to a late dinner after their afternoon lesson ran late and was about say to say 'Itadakimasu' when the taint rolls over them. Mr. Miyagi quickly knocks Ukyo and Kasumi out with a pressure point. Any demon powerful enough to send out a beacon like that would easily kill his students. Of course a demon that powerful is likely to kill him as well. But as a master he must respond.

Somewhere in the Roppongi district

Happosai loves this district, it attracts a lot of foreign ladies with lots of foreign panties and bras to be had. As he places a lovely pink lacy number in the pack on his back the wave of taint washes over him. He can't help but shiver as it feels like the hands of dozens of young men rubbing all over him. Happosai quickly hides his bounty behind a roof top air conditioner unit and roof hoops toward the demon that would disturb his Happy time.

Tendo household

A drunk man and a panda lay in an alcohol induced coma in the living room. As Nabiki passes through she pins a note to her father's chest that shows the date she moves out for college and written on the bottom in Akane's hand writing is a small note saying she is moving in with Misty Copeland so she don't have so far to travel every day for training. While she is at it, Nabiki places her father's hand in an intimate place on the panda then she does the same with a panda paw and takes a picture. This will bring her a few dollars later. No one notices the wave of tainted life force.

The Cat Café

Cologne watches Shampoo and Mouse spar. Mouse has showed substantial improvement but Cologne can't keep the frown off her face at watching her great granddaughter. She is improving, slowly, it's like she is not concentrating. Cologne halts the spar she tells part-timer to clean up while she needs to talk to Shampoo. Shampoo and Cologne go into the dining area to talk.

"Granddaughter what is wrong? You're not focused, I remember when the Kunoji girl fought you to a draw you begged me for more training for two solid weeks. But know it's like your mind is elsewhere. Tell me what's wrong." Shampoo squirms in her seat like a young child caught doing something wrong. Shampoo finally marshals her courage.

"Grandmother I'm not sure where my place in the world is anymore. Before we left I was so sure of myself and what my future held, now after being in Japan for a year. The village seems small in comparison and a dream of becoming Matriarch no longer holds the appeal it once did." Shampoo lowers her head to look away from her Grandmother. "Please forgive me I know these thoughts are unbecoming a warrior. Please forgive me."

"Look at me when you talk, Shampoo never be ashamed of your feelings. It is true those thoughts are unbecoming of a warrior but NOT a Matriarch. It is wise that you realize the tribes place in the world. We ARE small compared to even the Musk who outnumber us, let alone the communist to the south. Our warriors and generals would have us fight the world if they had their way and we would die even with all our Ki techniques and magical trinkets. What good are these things against bombs and tanks?" Cologne shakes her head in the thought of their warriors trying to face armies with modern tech.

Shampoo has never heard her grandmother talk this way, and it was hurting her amazon pride. "But grandmother I've heard tales of our best warriors having grand battles with the Vietnamese and Japanese and even a skirmish with the communist!"

Cologne just sighs "Yes granddaughter you heard right, we did win those battles and every celebration and holiday in the village someone retells those tales. What they never say was the losses we took in those battles and that only Artemis level warriors and elders took part. Tell me Shampoo how many Artemis levels warriors and elders are in our village?"

Seeing the point Cologne was making. "In our village we have three elders and six Artemis levels, in the entire Amazon nation how many are there Grandmother?"

"That is something only I am allowed to know lest our enemies realizes our weakness. But I will tell you it less than 30. The previous Matriarch was a fool to get us involved in conflicts that were none of our business. She thought to make a world power out of our tribe but all she did was waste the lives of our tribeswomen for no gain. But back to the point, your young and the wanderlust has hit you, I was not so different when I was your age. You know you may ask any elder for a sabbatical to explore the world. There is nothing wrong with that."

"But what if get too used the world outside the tribe, what if I don't return, I'd feel like I betrayed the tribe…"

"Don't be foolish, the fact that you even worry about it makes me believe that you will be back. Besides since the tribe moved to china from Greece every single member of the tribe that has gone on sabbatical has returned. Of course some sooner than others, but they have come back and they always bring back something useful to the tribe as well. Whether it be wealth, knowledge, tools, or even allies. Think on what I said we will…." Cologne stops as a wave tainted Ki washes over her and Shampoo. "You and Mouse get your battle armor and follow as quickly as possible." Cologne vanishes traveling at her top speed to the battle.

Tofu Clinic

Ono Tofu sits drinking his tea thinking about a certain pigtail patient and his newest friends. But mostly he thinks about a certain Dr. friend. She was a lovely lady who obviously cared a great deal about those around her. The fact that she still had lovely figure didn't hurt either. His thoughts are interrupted when a wave tainted Ki washes over him. He grabs his skeleton named Betty and runs out the door.

" _Ami! Tell your group we must finish this quickly! Ki users all over japan will have felt that Ki release and be heading this way! Most will NOT be able to handle this level of fighting_!" Just a second later Ranma feels the Ki flares of masters from all over heading to their location. " _We have eleven Ki users heading this way we must hurry!"_

" _Eleven! I thought you said 5 or 6!?" Ami shouts back through their mental link._

" _Sorry it's usually hard to tell, all masters learn to suppress their Ki or they'd walk around glowing all day."_

Ami sends a mental sigh through there link and addresses her group. "Ranma just told me she sensed 11 civilians on their way here. Unless we want a mess, we need to clean these guys up quickly!"

"That's a lovely thought but unless we get rid of the rest those troopers that are giving the others covering fire, we are stuck here." Neptune shouts back from her cover.

" _I got an idea about that, I think my speed would good enough in the cat fist to avoid their fire and thin there numbers to give us more room to maneuver. To keep Saturn and moon from being overwhelmed you might want get Pluto to teleport a few of you guys over here when I leave_."

" _Good plan Ranma_." Ami thinks back. "Pluto can you teleport Jupiter and myself over to Moon so Ranma can use her speed to take a few more of those troopers out?" Pluto nods and raises her key staff and their gone in a flash of light. Ami ends up teleported right beside Ranma. Ami places her hand on Ranma's shoulder and wishes her good luck and to please come back safe. Ranma closes her eyes and opens herself to the cat fist. Ami inhales sharply feeling the cat fist fill her as well. If anyone could see through her visor they would see Ami's blue eyes had become cat eyes. Ranma opens her own cat eyes and disappears in a flash of speed and wind.

80% present of the cat fist should be plenty to wipe these weak guys out. Ranma jumps down the side of the building not facing the street hoping to avoid any unnecessary risk. She peeks around the corner watching for an opening to make her move. Those troopers seem to have little to no intelligence but those 5 attack youma have been the problem. After their opening salvos the Senshi haven't had much success thinning their numbers. The attack youma quickly calmed them down kept them in formation and taught them to give each other coving fire. Essentially the Senshi were stuck behind cover unable to get a clean shot off without taking massive damage. Dang those attack youma are smart there is no opening in there formation. Think Ranma, think.

" _Ranma I got this."_

" _Ami?"_

" _Yes, I'm going to cover the area in fog it'll give you several minutes of excellent cover. Since we share my magic you should be able to see through the fog clearly. Go when you see the fog."_

" _Thanks."_ Just in case she can't see through the fog Ranma tries to mesmerize the battle field quickly. 27 youma left. 22 troopers and 5 attack youma. Lot better than when they started but still not in their favor. Ranma hears Ami vocalize her attack and a fog bank blinks into existence on the field. Ami was right she can see right through fog like it was made of glass. She waste no time in running out at full speed destroying 5 youma on her first pass with her claws and continue around the circle she destroys 7 more. Being a warm fall day the fog is starting to dissipate when Ranma decides on her 3rd and final run. She hopes to remove the final ten troopers with this pass barring that she at least wants three minimum. Left hand swipe three die, twist around swipe with right hand blocked! One of attack youma moved forward to intercept her. This youma looked like a cross between that muscle bound amazon that faced Shampoo on the log and a large roll of red vinyl. Freaky that. Ranma put forth all the speed she had to spare and proceeded to try and claw the youma to death. With most of the troopers dead the rest of the Senshi had moved off the roofs and engaged the youma in close quarters combat. It seemed everyone had chosen their opponents. Moon, Mercury were busy with an attack youma. Venus and Mars had another. Jupiter had somehow teamed up with Saturn and had an attack youma on the ropes. Pluto and Uranus seemed to have their hands full with the largest attack youma. Neptune as the odd man out was trying kill the remaining troopers and take attacks of opportunity at larger youma's backs. The youma Ranma was fighting wasn't having any of Ranma's crap. Ranma would try to attack and the youma would block or dodge. Luckily for Ranma the youma's attacks seemed limited to streamers made of vinyl that it used to attack similar to Kodachi's ribbon only the youma attacked with five at a time which Ranma could easily cut with her claws. However its other attack was becoming a problem. Any time Ranma got close and stayed close for too long it would create spikes of vinyl that it could shoot at very high speeds and that exploded on contact producing a lot shrapnel. Ranma had already taken two vollyies of these shots giving her multiple cuts all over body which wasn't really that bad. The explosions were similar to Ryoga's Breaking Point. Since she had given herself the breaking point training the cuts were mostly an annoyance. What was really affecting her was the single piece of vinyl that embedded itself just above her right knee on the back of her right leg. Dang youma got a lucky shot with its first volley of explosive spikes. Ranma was surprised how well her Ki reserves were holding up must be the bond she shared with Ami. Ranma spared a moment to see how the others were doing and it wasn't good. Moon and mercury were being pushed back hard. Venus and Mars were fairing the same. Jupiter and Saturn had apparently taken a couple hard shoots from the remaining 3 troop youma and were moving slower, they must have sustained some injuries. Pluto and Uranus were playing pure defense with they're large youma. One would block while the other would try and attack it but its speed was keeping them from ever completing the attack or missing altogether if they did. Uranus seemed to be the only one having any luck as she reduced another trooper to ash. Leaving only two which seemed to be doing more running than anything. Ranma knew something needed to be done if they were to win this, they had done well so far but now they were taking far too much damage and not dealing enough to be able to win. Ranma gave a silent apology to Ami hoping that opening herself fully to the cat fist wouldn't haunt her. Ranma backs off from the youma for a moment confusing it. Ranma takes a deep breath lets the cat completely go. Ranma feels herself suddenly falling she opens her eyes to see herself falling toward the ground. Fear suddenly grips Ranma she recognizes this place even from this far up. It where she went through the cat fist training. As the ground grows closer she sees it. The pit.

'No no no please God no. Not again. I thought I could control it. Thought I could stay away from here.'

She falls toward the ground, toward the hole that is made of her nightmares. She enters the dark.

Ami feels the mental apology, she wants to object to stop her but it's too late. Ranma let the cat go. Ami can see everything Ranma sees, Ami tries to call out to Ranma but Ranma can't hear her. Ami doesn't know if it's the fear or trauma but Ranma can't hear her at all. Ami runs toward Ranma with uncanny speed and catches her body from hitting the ground. Ami looks her in the eyes.

"Ranma please hear me. Please look at me. Ranma oh Ranma." Ami starts crying, she can feel Ranma's pain and see her prison in her mind. But there's nothing she do about it. Ami pulls Ranma's head up and puts her forehead against Ranma's making their Mercury symbols touch. Ami sees a flash and suddenly she is falling. She recognizes the place from Ranma's mind. The cat fist training ground. Suddenly Ami is standing on the ground she sees the covered pit in front of her. Ami uses all her strength to throw the piece of tin away. Without hesitation she jumps in the pit. At the bottom she sees 6 year old boy Ranma wrapped in fish and covered in starving cats crying out in pain. Ranma is begging his father, his mother anybody to help him, begging them just to stop the pain. Ami runs to him and knocks the cats off, rips the fish off and unties Ranma. Ami picks up a crying Ranma and hugs him tightly.

"Ranma you made me promise not long ago that meant the world to me, now I'm going make you one. I swear on my honor, on my life that you will never again have to face this place alone. I will be there every time this place crosses your mind, every time you hear a cat, every time one of your scars from this place hurts I will be there and I will take all your pain I can. You will never again suffer alone." Suddenly the world freezes and turns black and white then shatters like a plate glass window.

The battle stops as the rower of a large cat beast rattles the glass of the surrounding buildings. Ranma and Ami is glowing a bright blue and has the Mercury symbol glowing brightly on their foreheads. Ranma blast forward kicking up dust and rock from her acceleration. The youma she was facing is confused at first as the girl it was fighting seemed to run right past it until its torso starts to fall off its bisected waist and crumbles to dust. Wasting no time as she feels the masters in area the getting close, Ranma blast the two remaining troop youma with her Mökö Takabisha. That's what they get for paying all their attention to Neptune. Neptune immediately goes to help Pluto and her lover. Ranma goes to help Mercury who had gone back to help Moon. Ranma smiled when she saw there youma do its long range attack. It fired some kind of laser burst from crystal things embedded in its chest. The lasers didn't seem all that powerful, moon would block most of the ones coming her way with her fancy stick or baton whatever it was. Ami would just jump away. The part that made Ranma smile was that the youma had to stand still for 15 to 20 seconds to fire this attack. Ranma waited for the youma to start his next long range attack, as soon as it took its attack stance Ranma jumped in and took complete advantage of its exposed back.

"Moon, help Pluto and Uranus, Neptune, Ami and I will help Jupiter and Saturn." Jupiter was looking really ruff at this point and Saturn was breathing really hard and dripping with sweat.

"Jupiter got any advice on this youma?" Ami ask as she blocks an attack meant for Jupiter's head.

"It's got some kind of special defense that deflects our attacks, we haven't hit it once. The only good thing is it has no long range attack but it hits really hard." Jupiter explains through exhausted breathes.

"Mind attacking Jupiter so I can see this deflection?" Ranma ask while trying to tag it with a vacuum blade. Jupiter charges her lighting attack and fires it only to watch it literally curve around the youma. Ranma smiles a feral smile.

" _Ranma that's a bad idea_." Ami says in his head.

" _Bad ideas are better than no idea_." Ranma responds.

" _Just because we nothing better does not mean you should do this_." Ami fires back.

" _Look at the others Ami, they are all tired and injured. We need to beat this guy and help them_." Ranma defends his plan.

" _Fine but If you die, I'll kill you_." Ami says with force. The threat makes Ranma smile, not because it was a threat but because she could feel what was behind the threat. Complete and utter care for her safety. To have someone that would worry about you that much is a grand thing.

"Jupiter think you got another full power lighting attack left in you?" Ami ask.

"Yeah but only one." Jupiter answers.

"When I give the signal fire it straight at the youma with everything you got. Saturn when the lighting hits give it the pointy end." Everyone accepts there parts when Ranma is in position behind the youma Ami gives Jupiter the signal. She charges and fires her max power lighting attack at the youma. The lighting flies straight at the youma until it gets about three feet away then it curves perfectly around it until it gets back to its original trajectory. Jupiter thought she wasted the last of her energy until lighting starts sparking around the youma paralyzing it. Just like they planned Saturn came in and sliced it right across the chest with polearm causing it to turn to ash. Jupiter looks to Ami and ask

"How? I missed I saw it go by the youma." Jupiter ask with a confused expression.

"Ranma redirected your lighting at the youma. She had a theory that it had to see the attack coming to redirect it, she was right." Ami says with a little pride in voice.

"She can do that!?" Jupiter ask bewildered that anyone could catch her attack and redirect it.

"Of course I can, I am the best." Ranma brags. Ami just rolls her eyes, knowing that Ranma just blatantly stole General Iro's lighting redirection technique from Avatar The last Air Bender.

"Come on guys let's get that last one taken care of so we can go." Ami says not liking what she is seeing. More than half team was trying to take that youma down yet they didn't seem to be able make a dent. Ami starts her scan to what special ability this youma might have that is keeping it in the fight. Her preliminary scan showed it to be extremely powerful but what caught her eye was when Venus pegged it square on with her beam attack. Instead of weakening like it was supposed to do its power increased. It happened again when Uranus hit it with a space sword blaster. "Everyone stop using energy attacks! It absorbs them to get stronger we're going to have beat this one down!" Ami screams over the battle. The Inners all used to blasting enemies to death look very unsure of themselves with the exception Venus who pretty good at hand to hand. Of the Outers Neptune and Saturn look unsure. Pluto just shrugs and Uranus is actually cracking her knuckles.

Ranma starts off the melee with a chestnut fist to the monster's back. Venus follows Ranma up with a spin kick to lower spine causing it stagger some. Saturn tries to take advantage of the stagger by giving the beast a polearm blade to the knee, the youma twist its leg just in time to avoid a complete loss of its leg but takes a severe cut down its calf. The youma roars in pain lasing out trying to catch a Senshi to show her his displeasure. The others finally jump in gaining confidence from attack and retreat tactics the others are using. The battle goes on like this for several minutes when Ami decides to take another reading to track their progress. She scans the large youma and her stomach sinks at the results. The youma has lost less than 5% percent of its power battling all the Senshi.

"Pluto! Ranma! We need another plan this isn't working we will exhaust ourselves long before we beat this guy."

"Can we overwhelm his magic absorption by hitting him with several magic attacks at once?" Pluto ask

"Unsure I need more readings which means letting him absorb more magic. Not the best plan at this moment." Ami explains.

"So he is made to absorb magic, what about Ki?" Ranma ask. Both Pluto and Ami look at Ranma and blink and look at each other again. Finally Ami brings up her scan of the youma again and reexamines it.

"No Ki is not compatible with the magical absorption system he has, but Ranma do you really think you hit him hard enough to over whelm his regenerative ability?" Ami ask worriedly.

"Keep him busy for thirty seconds and I'll be ready." Ranma says as sits down and takes a meditative stance.

" _Ranma how do know you can do it? I only know one time from your memories where were able to do such a thing_." Ami ask through there telepathy.

" _I know I can because I have too. Remember Ki reacts to one's will and determination_." Ami is shocked by her determination, confidence and courage. Ami joins the rest of her team in keeping the youma busy and trying to weaken it further. Ami has always been the least talented of the Senshi when it comes to hand to hand combat. It comes back to bite her when she is the wrong place at the wrong time. The youma punches her straight in face sending her flying and heading straight for a brick building and a lot of pain. Right before she hits they see a bright yellow ball of light streak in. When the dust settles they see Ranma holding Mercury bridal style and looking at Mercury with a look of great concern. Ranma jumps down the side of the building and tenderly hands Ami off to Moon.

"Please make sure she is okay." Moon just nods. Ranma turns to the youma and her aura flares angrily. Her yellow aura jumps and flares this way and that until it calms and turns a cold shade of blue while shrinking down until you see the faintest hint of blue glow around the red head.

"You know youma I was just going to destroy you easy pessy. Until you did that! Mercury is the only person to ever try to understand me, the only one who tried sympathize with me. She is the only one to ever understand my pain, she never complained about how stupid I am or called me a jerk or pervert. She even accepted my curse as easy as most people accept an apology. But more than anything she saved me from the pit which means I get to send you to the pit from which you came."

"Give me your best shot you pitiful human." The youma speaks for the first time during the battle. Ranma's blue aura intensifies growing darker and more menacing. Saturn is the first to notice a few wisp coming off Ranma.

"Is that fog coming off Red?" she ask. The others look harder and notice that indeed there was fog coming off Ranma. The build up around Ranma seemed to reach critical when a flash of blue light blinded everyone. When they could see again Ranma and the youma where both still standing exactly where they were before except Ranma was bent over with hands on her knees out of breath and her blue aura was gone. The youma was a shocking sight it was completely encased in 3 foot thick ice head to toe. Ranma walks up to the icy demon still out of breath puts a single finger on the ice and says,

"Die." Performing the breaking point technique on the ice. After which the street is covered in a massive icy explosion. When the smoke and watery vapor clear they find Ranma passed out once again covered in chunks of ice. Before any of Senshi have a chance to react they hear slow steady clapping. They look around and find the source to be 10 adults standing on the tops of the buildings where they started this battle. They clap for a few seconds before they start disappearing one at time. Until only one is left. The short gnome like man jumps down to the street causing all the Senshi to get nervous. He reaches in his gi and pulls out a small wrapped package and sets it by Ranma and leaves.

"Why were they clapping?" Usagi ask.

"I have a strong feeling it was intended for Ranma." Setsuna says. "Can you carry Mercury to the shrine Moon?"

"I think so." Usagi says.

"Someone grab Ranma and let's go we need to get out of the street." Setsuna jumps to the nearest building and turns to make sure everyone is following directions.

Uranus gets a lecherous look and takes a single step before Neptune clears her throat and says. "Do it and your sleeping on the couch for a week."

"Oh come on, a week! I'm just trying to help, after all I'm one of strongest Senshi." Uranus puffs up proudly. Neptune just narrows her eyes and responds.

"Two weeks."

"he, he um maybe you should carry her Venus." Uranus says nervously. Venus just shrugs and picks her up. She is surprised that how small she really is.

"Good idea." Neptune deadpans and jumps up beside Pluto. Once Venus gets Ranma settled in a comfortable carry position they start their treck toward the Hikawa Shrine.

Ami starts to rouse from her fist induced nap right before they get to the shrine.

"uh ugh, my head!"

"Ami your awake, are you ok?"

"Oh Usagi, yeah my head is pounding and my body hurts but I'm ok, mostly. Can you put me down now?" she ask all embarrassed.

"Were almost there now, just a couple more seconds, probably be better that put down in shrine anyway. You got hit really hard Ami."

"Thanks Usagi." She says still embarrassed but glad she still cares for her. Ami feels like something is wrong though and it takes her a minute to figure what.

"Ranma! I can't hear Ranma! Is she okay?" Ami says worried.

"I don't know what you mean by hear, but Ranma passed out after killing the youma in a really impressive manner."

"Oh umm well we kinda share a telepathic link." Ami gets a very Ranma-esque smirk on her face. "Killing that youma by herself is going to go straight to her head. Even though it was weak against Ki users, it was designed to fight magic users like us." Ami looks very fondly over to where Venus is carrying a sleeping Ranma.

Usagi lands in the courtyard of the shrine and puts a shaky Ami down. Rei lands and releases her transformation.

"Wait here a moment I'm going to check and make sure the meeting room is clear then you guys can come on in." Rei turns and heads toward the main shrine building. Ami walks over Venus and watches Ranma sleep for a moment.

"Mina I'll take her if you don't mind." Ami ask shyly fully knowing what the others might think of her, but not caring enough to actually stop herself from asking.

Mina looks at smallest Senshi oddly for a second. "Are sure Ami she's not that heavy but being dead weight makes her hard to hold for any length of time."

"I'm positive Mina." Ami says with confidence. Mina transfers Ranma over Ami. Ami takes a few seconds to adjust her for a comfortable position. Ami starts to feel funny after holding Ranma for few seconds and not funny in a good way. She was about to ask Mina to hold Ranma again when she sees a blue glow starting to emanate from Ranma, she also sees out of the corner of her eye a yellow glow coming from somewhere. It glows brighter and brighter until she can't see then just as quick its gone. The first thing she notices when she can she again is Ranma staring up at up her with wide scared eyes.

" _Calm down Ranma, we couldn't leave you in the street. Trust me, feel my mood through the link, I'm not mad_." Ami tries to calm Ranma after feeling the panic in her mind.

"S _orry waking with a girl in close proximately and causing panic is a habit now I think. You can put me down now_." Ranma slowly gets her heart under control after being scared spit less upon waking.

Ami lets Ranma down and notices that her bruises and scraps are gone like she hadn't been in fight at all tonight.

"Why did you both just glow? Where did Ranma come from? Why is she fighting with us? Who's the new enemy? And since when is Ami a lesbian!?" Makoto blurts out with her usual tact causing everyone to palm their face with the rude way she ask something very personal, but of course they were all wondering. But you don't just ask like that.

"All good questions even though, your tact and timing could use work Makoto. I am sure Ami and Ranma will answer what questions they can when we get settled in the meeting room, until then I suggest we all drop our transformations lest we draw attention to ourselves." Setsuna intervened again hoping to defuse any blow up between Makoto and Ami. The one between Rei and Ami was already bad enough. She planned to talk to both them tonight to try and mend some fences. She still hadn't found the flashpoint that causes the civil war in the time gate, must be like most turning points history, filled with chaos that could cause things to go any which way. However at this point the time line was still favoring all out civil war between the Senshi. It was truly hard to see these kids killing each other in combat but those nightmarish scenes in the time gate weren't fiction. Good timing, she thinks, as she sees Rei walking back out of the temple. Less she thought of her friends killing each other the better.

"Got bad news guys, Grandpa sensed us coming in. Apparently he has always been able tell when we came in but thought we were 'good kids' and thought a little rebellious partying wouldn't hurt us. He said he would be happy to let us get back to our party after he performed a short spiritual cleansing ceremony." Rei explains.

"Why would he want to that?" Hotaru ask with her soft and quite voice.

"That would be my fault." Rei said shamefully. "I received some bad news a few weeks ago. Because of that I wasn't controlling my Miko abilities like I should have been, I probably contaminated all of you with dark and negative emotions just like I did with the sacred fire." She walks to Ami and gets on her knees in front of her and bows. "Please forgive me Ami it's all my fault that we drove you away. I focused my anger and self-loathing unfairly toward you and because I wasn't controlling my abilities my hate and anger leaked over to the others and it was looking for any reason to be released. So when I unloaded on you the others were more than happy to jump onboard. So please Ami even if you can't forgive me please forgive the others it was all my fault." Rei remained bowed waiting for Ami's answer. Ami takes time formulating her response to Rei's heartfelt apology.

"Rei thank you for apologizing. I know it must hard for you, you are very proud and nobody likes to admit when they are wrong, but you hit every sore spot and insecurity I posse. I often wondered myself if I deserved to be on this team. I'm weak, I'm not a fighter, I don't even like fighting and my powers are not suited for such. I also made mistakes, big ones like you said. I let myself be seduced to into joining Metalia, dated a known bad guy. It hurt Rei, it hurt a lot. Not just because I felt like all my friends were turning on me, but because my ONLY friends were turning on me. Most of you don't understand what that means. All of you have friends outside this group except me. I have done everything I can to be a part this group, to try and integrate myself. I have offered my help with your studies which you accepted for a short time but our study sessions quickly degenerated into everything but. I tried hanging out with guys doing things you enjoy but I quickly felt like third wheel. After we all died defeating Metalia, I thought maybe things would be different between us since I died with you, made that sacrifice with you. But it didn't. I'm still on the outside, still on the periphery, not quite part of the group but not separate either. You may have been angry for another reason but I think this would have eventually happened anyway. But for what it's worth I forgive you but I don't believe you were you responsible for every one else's words. I know your powers Rei you can help calm people, or ease depression, even perk people up a little, but you influence, not control people they were responsible for their own words. Ranma and I will work side by side with you to fight this threat but we are not friends."

Rei nods her head in understanding as she gets up. Usagi is crying and sniffling, the other inners are looking shame faced and offer their apologies which sound half-hearted after Rei's deeply sincere apology. They start moving toward the main building when Rei suddenly stops and looks at Setsuna.

"Umm we need you at this meeting Setsuna but grandfather is kind of expecting a bunch of TEEN girls…" Rei just kind of trails off unsure of what to do about this complication.

"That's easily taken care of." Setsuna mutters some incoherent words, at least incoherent to the others in a flash Setsuna is a 15 year old version of herself.

"What the hell! Setsuna!" Haruka screams.

"To be honest you two looked a little too old for this as well so I deaged you about three years to better fit in. This will help us all, so just calm down. After all it's only a very elaborate illusion." Setsuna explains in voice that sounds far to mature for the body speaking.

"Don't worry lover, like she said it is just an illusion. Besides I think 15 year old you is very cute." Michiru tries comforting her.

"I think both momma and papa are cute! Can, can we do a slumber party tonight!" Hotaru makes her big purple eyes even bigger makes them as cute and shiny as possible. Even though she's a girl herself Haruka has a -10 resistance check against Hotaru's puppy dog eyes.

"I've never been into the girly thing but for you Hotaru anything." Haruka says.

Of course this causes a chorus of "aaawwwwww" from the inners. Haruka tries to give them the evil eye to shut'em up. But being three years younger made her a lot shorter and feminine looking then her 18 year old self. So it didn't help much.

"Come on everybody grandfather is going to wonder where we are." Rei try's to move them along. But anyone who's dealt with large groups knows it like herding cats sometimes to get people actually going in the direction you want them to. We Rei finally gets them into the meeting room. Her grandfather already has the room set up for a cleansing. There are multiple wards all over walls and incense burning along with several candles.

"Thank you for coming in, I'm sure you have your doubts not everyone believes in the spiritual, but this won't take long, then you can get back to whatever fun activities you had planned. If each of you take a cup of ceremonial tea and drink it up that will help prepare your body for the ceremony." It takes a few minutes for ten people to get and drink their tea and settle back down. "Good the next part is easy, I'll give each of you a seal to hold that will draw out the dark energy. That is the easy part, this will be the hard part I will be needing you to chant the words of power with me. Learning the words aren't the hard part but concentrating on each word as you say it is. I want you to imagine power flowing from your center into your voice as you say each word. I know it's hard but try your best. Now the words are Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao. Say them with me a couple times so you get it right. 'Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao.' That was good but try to let the natural rhythm of the words carry you to the next one. 'Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao.' Very good. Now close your eyes hold your seals with both hands and chant with me, remember to imagine the flow of your energy into the words."

Eleven people chanting the words of power gave the old man the chills, he didn't have the opportunity to have so many chanting very often. Most of the time it took ten iterations before anything happened. But on the third chant the girl's seals started glowing with different colors. He had never seen anything like it, these girls must have amazing spiritual lives or an unheard of aptitude for magic. He chastised himself for letting his mind drift, it was his job to channel these energies, to do the job that needed to be done. He focused on the energies whirling around him and ran them through the seals he placed on the walls to purify them. He watched as each seal lit up with a cacophony of colors. Once he got the energies purified which wasn't hard. There was something very pure about the energies these girls where emitting. The next part he had to be very careful about, he had to pull the swirling energies down away from the walls and let them pass through the girls. The positive energy passing through each girl should force the negative or dark energy out and into the seal each girl held blackening and destroying each seal in the process. He had the ring of positive energy right above the girl's heads now. He hoped this really helped these girls. He slowly lowered the energy into the girls and the effect was instantaneous. Several of the girl's seals instantly blackened and turned to ash far too quickly. It was a good thing he kept spare seals in his robe sleeves, it was rare this happened but it does happen. The last time it did, he was performing the ceremony for a war veteran that requested it. He wondered what happened in these girls lives to give them such pain and resentment. The replacement seals he gave out were still blackening far too quickly, he quickly passed out all the seals he had, applying them to the girls, arms, heads, and legs. He just prayed it would be enough. Each girl had close to 20 seals hanging off her and the ceremony wasn't even a quarter of the way done and most of seals were already starting to break down. Rei and he were having long talk after this something was very wrong here. The girls chants were extremely strong for civilians, it was a chance but he had to do something or the darkness he was releasing from them would be set free in world causing someone else pain and suffering. He changes his chant to strengthen and reinforce the seals making them able to absorb more darkness then they normally would be able too. The disintegration of the seals slows greatly giving him hope that they would last till the end of the ceremony. The ceremony is close to completion, he could feel their pain, anger, resentment and being softened and reduced. He never thought such young girls could harbor so much negativity. These girls must have seen or experienced some very intense or evil things in their lives. Finally it was time to wrap it up. He changes chants again to diffuse the energy in the room and hopefully make the girls more resilient to the darkness in the future. This was far harder than it should have been.

"Ok girls you can stop now. I am the head priest of this most holy and ancient temple. I have taken many vows to help those in need no matter what and I keep whatever I hear confidential. So would any of you care to tell me why a bunch teen girls have strong magical aura's or why you all have darkness on your aura's that feels almost exactly like WW2 veterans?" The girls all look at each other and through silent agreement allow Setsuna to speak for them.

"We appreciate all you have done for us I know my soul feels lighter and stress I didn't even know I carried is gone. But as to your questions I cannot answer them without putting you and your ancient temple in grave danger. But I will tell you this the reason everyone's aura in this room feels like a veteran warriors is because everyone in this room IS a veteran warrior in war that most don't know even exist. We fight hard with every ounce of determination and skill at our disposal." Setsuna explained in voice that beligh her current age.

"I see. You have fought in this war granddaughter?" He ask sternly.

"Yes, Grandfather I have fought and been injured but done my best." Rei hoped she didn't offend her only family.

"There is no greater calling for a Miko than to defend this realm from demons. I wish you were not so young but at least you seem to be surrounded by good people. We will talk later Rei. Your meetings here with your friends just took on a different aspect for me. I'll let you get back to your war council." So, so young he thinks to himself as he leaves.

"I should thank you and your grandfather Rei and apologize to everyone here. I didn't realize how much I needed this. I had so much resentment and anger built up that I didn't even notice it anymore. You must understand I waited 10,000 years to see all my friends again, to see you guys again. But when all of you born I could tell something was wrong. I forgot that all of you are reincarnations of my friends, not the friends I have been waiting for, for so long. All of your Star seeds all are from my friends and you are not them and I got so angry and disappointed, I wanted to see them again to be able to talk to them again. But I got sad carbon copies of the people I knew. I am sorry this isn't fair to any of you but I did take it out on you." Setsuna drops her head, getting rid of the anger and resentment then explaining her feelings leaves her feeling drained and empty. Setsuna feels a hand lifting her face up, to her surprise it is Usagi. She was harder on Usagi than anybody.

"No Setsuna we should be apologizing to you. You lived through the fall, but we never tried to comfort you or understand your feelings. Most of us just called you annoying, know it all, or worse with never understanding that there was a reason behind why you were, the way you were. You were hurting and lonely something we should all understand." Usagi turns showing all the Senshi gathered closely around supporting Usagi's words. Usagi wipes Setsuna's tears away and hugs her.

"Thank you all. But we should probably get to it unless we want to be here all night. As Makoto bluntly ask earlier we have a new ally. Do you want to introduce yourself Ranma?" Setsuna ask really just trying to get some attention off herself. She still felt a little raw.

Ranma stands nervous in front of so many girls. " _Its ok Ranma I'm here want me to do it?_ " Ami ask through the link.

" _Definitely!"_ She shout back in her mind. Ami stands beside Ranma and puts her arm around her shoulder.

"This is Ranma Saotome, Master of Saotome School of martial arts and now The Mercury Knight." Ami explains in her professional voice.

"Sorry about this." Ranma adds out of habit mostly.  
"Ranma became the Mercury Knight through some extraordinary circumstances and luck. Weather it good or bad luck remains to be seen." Ami really didn't want to talk about the next part but they deserved to know.

"What do mean by that last part Ami?" Michiru ask.

Ami takes a deep breath and explains. "While we both Ranma and myself have gained great advantages in battle like, quicker magic and Ki recharge rates, shared fatigue and other abilities. Ranma unfortunately ran into a system of cursed springs during her training that were cursed through blood magic. Setsuna has told us that if she can't figure out a way solve the interaction problem between blood magic and the white magic Ranma has through our link that it will more than likely kill her and I will die as well." Silence follows Ami's statement for several moments while they absorbed it. Then all at once her teammates all start talking at once some in denial (Rei) some yelling that Setsuna should do something now (Makoto) and a couple were blaming Ranma for putting her in danger (Haruka, Michiru) but most she really couldn't make out over so many people yelling at the time. Oddly enough it made Ami feel kind of wanted knowing they were actually worried about her.

Finally having enough of the yelling Setsuna summons her key staff bangs it on the floor like a gavel. "Needless to say I'm doing everything I can to save the lives of Ami and Ranma. It's an extremely complicated subject covering the subjects of Light Magical theory and Application, Blood Magical theory and Application, Advanced magical interactions just to name a few and believe or not I am not an expert on everything so this is going to take a while."

"Those aren't exactly community college classes how are you researching that?" Mina ask

"Honestly, I'm using the time gate to watch classes from the Silver Millennium and if I wasn't doing this to save the life of a friend I would actually find it refreshing." Setsuna says with a bit of a shrug.

"Talk about a long distance correspondence course." Haruka says.

"Rei what did that ceremony do exactly I feel different." Makoto ask and every one seems interested in the answer.

"It a purification ritual designed to get rid of the dark desires caused by resentment, anger, fear and hate. While it's ok and even healthy to have small amounts of these, it's when they grow too strong that bad things happen. At first it just hurts the person carrying the negativity around but as it grows stronger it begins to hurt those around them until finally it hurts everybody they come in contact with. These negative emotions can even feed off one another, fear can lead to anger, anger to hate, and hate always leads to suffering." Rei explains in her full on Miko education mode.

Hearing that gives Setsuna a lot of hope that maybe this would change things for the better in the future.

Most of the girls just kind go 'oh' thinking about the hate leads suffering thing. Mina could swear she'd actually heard that before couldn't remember where.

"Please thank your Grandfather for us when you get the chance Rei. Now about our new enemy, do you have anything Ami?" Setsuna ask.

"As I'm sure you all noticed, all of our enemies have each had unique youma with unique abilities and unique power signatures. These youma while more powerful carry the power signature of a Beryl…"

"But she's dead!" Mina, Makoto, Usagi all say at the same time.

"Yes she is." Ami continues. "As I was saying the current youma have a Negaverse power signature, but more specifically, they have many of the design characteristics of Jadeite's youma. It appears he somehow survived and is now leading the Negaverse youma."

"That's great news! You guys beat these jerks before we even showed up. This should be a cake walk." Haruka states with confidence.

"Did you get hit in the head during the battle!? That was one of the toughest battles we ever fought! If it wasn't for Ranma that last youma would have been awful to defeat! Obviously Jadeite is doing things differently than they were." Rei almost yells.

"Rei is right," Haruka gives Ami a dark look. "I mean about Jadeite, we had a huge advantage when the Negaverse first attacked. They had little to no power from being sealed for so long plus the four generals and Beryl each had their own idea of an effective strategy to gather energy. They're in-fighting also gave us a great advantage. They fought against each other almost as much as fought against us. We don't have any of these advantages this time plus Jadeite seems to be playing the long term game. He is gathering energy on the down low with energy drainers that only Ranma or other Ki users seems to be able to sense. He is activity avoiding conflict with the Senshi and the only reason we knew about this last incident is because I met Ranma. This was a trap set purely to capture Ranma and drain her of her life force to create an army of youma to invade earth."

"Wow so what do we do about him?" Mina ask

"Next time he sets a trap can't we just ignore the soldier's and use his own portal against him and take the fight to him?" Ranma ask.

"That would be inadvisable for two reasons, first, we don't know how big his force is. We could avoid a strike force only to run into an army. Second, while we are in a different dimension we don't recharge mana. If we use up all our mana we would be worse than useless in a fight." Setsuna explains.

Ranma crosses her eyes in concentration for a second then she gets an idea. "Can you scan the other side of a portal to tell us what we can expect Ami?"

"Technically no, the event horizon messes my scans all up but maybe I could network my communicator with my computer again and toss it threw the portal. Its range would be extremely limited but it would tell us what is right on the other side." Ami says already testing the networking capability of the communicators.

"Knowing what he has in reserve will help but we still can't go there without risking running out of magic." Makoto says.

"I have an idea about that. I don't know squat about magic but what I do know that it acts a lot like Ki. So maybe it has the characteristics of Ki. Like being able to store it for later use. I know an old bat who stored massive amounts of Ki in her cane, through me for a loop every time I fought her until I figured it out. It's an amazing technique that can turn the tide of battle in your favor." Ranma says with pride.

"And you can teach us this technique?" Michiru says with some skepticism.

"Well, yes and no." Ranma says while scratching the base her pigtail.

"That's fantastic." Haruka says with a very unlady like snort.

Ranma squints her eyes in an aggressive manner. "What I mean is I _could_ teach all of you but we have the same problem that I ran into when I first figured it out. You can't store Ki in just anything." She picks a coaster off the table. "Got any attachment to this Rei?" She shakes her head to the negative. "Watch." Ranma concentrates on the coaster until it starts glowing a faint yellow. "I stored a very minor amount of Ki in it. The coaster will glow brighter and brighter until…" A loud POOF permeates the room. "Until that happens, I haven't found anything that can safely store Ki."

"Can you ask the old lady how she stores Ki in her cane?" Usagi ask hopefully.

"Tried, she said only elders in her tribe are told how it's done." Ranma said with regret.

Setsuna snaps her fingers with eagerness and an idea. "You need a fetish!"

"What!" "EWW" "Setsuna!" "Yes!" Of course that last remark earned Haruka a smack to the back of the head by Michiru.

"Stupid languages changes every few hundred years! A fetish in the old days was a device that focuses, concentrates and can even store magical energy. Think of it like a wand from Harry Potter. Even though the books showed he can do magic without a wand, they used them to enhance control and focus." Setsuna explained to a relieved group except for Haruka who looked slightly disappointed.

"But where do we find something like that?" Usagi ask.

"We don't have to." Setsuna said confusing everyone. "While not designed for it those of you who have magical weapons can use them to store mana. There are really just big wands if you think about it. They are devices that focus our magic." She summons her Garnet Rod from sub-space and focuses on it storing mana in and it and drawing it back out. "That will work nicely."

"That great for you and the outers but we don't have weapons." Rei says indicating herself and the inners.

"Actually Usagi can use her Royal Scepter to store mana, Venus has a sword she's never manifested and you Rei have never fully manifested your bow. That just leaves Ami and Makoto. Ami you don't have to worry about storing any mana at all. Ranma will be with us and she will be carrying a full charge with her you can use." Setsuna says actually enjoying teaching the Senshi about abilities they didn't they know they had.

"What do you mean Setsuna?" Ami ask very curious.

"Ranma has a connection to Mercury just like you do and like you she has mana tap to Mercury. When you run low on mana during battle instead of waiting for slow recharge through your connection to Mercury like normal, you can just tap Ranma's and refill yourself instantly. Of course instant refills have the nice side effect of rejuvenating some wounds. Of course this works the other way as well, you now generate large amounts of Ki which Ranma can use to recharge instead waiting for it to slowly build back up." Setsuna explains.

"That's what happened outside the shrine when I woke up wasn't it. I've never had my Ki refill so fast before." Ranma says.

"Yes but it just kinda happened we need to figure out how to do that when we want to." Ami responds and Ranma just nods in confirmation. "Speaking of our link, you could have warned us about the telepathic link, it came as quite the surprise." Ami stares menacingly at Setsuna.

Setsuna doesn't respond at first she just looks back and forth from Ranma and Ami. "I didn't warn you both about telepathy because the first two never developed that ability…It appears that you two share a stronger bond than they did." _This is worrying I made my estimates on based on older couples connection_.

"Oh." Ami and say at the same time. They look at each other and get a little red in the face.

"Anyway back on subject Makoto, you have a unique tiara. It channels all your mana for your lighting attacks. You should be able to store an immense amount of mana in it. Actually we all should be able to store some mana in our tiaras, seeing as their magic boosters anyway." Setsuna says.

"Wait our tiaras are magic boosters?" Makoto ask.

"Of course. You didn't think they were just for show did you?" All the girls just stare at Setsuna blankly. "Nothing about the outfits are just for show. You do know the long ribbons can be removed and used for rope, bandages, and the like right?" Setsuna just shakes her head. "We will cover magical armor basics during our training this weekend then."

"Wait what? Training but this is school break!" Usagi whines.

"We need the training meatball head! We've been doing this by the seat of our pants for far too long." Rei screams

"Soo mean!" Usagi

"She's right Usagi, besides it would be nice to get my sword back." Mina shrugs.

"I'm really looking forward to it!" Hotaru nearly squeals surprising everyone but Ranma.

"Unless anyone has anything else you should all be heading home its 9:30. I'll contact you tomorrow about training. We will meet here." Setsuna says.

"Yeah I got something, can you teleport us home since you made me too young to drive." Haruka says with a scowl.

"Yeah slumber party!" Hotaru says while dancing wildly with Michiru.

Ami and Ranma and the rest of the inners watch the outers teleport away. Usagi leaves running at supersonic bunny speed saying something about curfew. Makoto and Mina leave at more sedate pace together.

Rei sees Ranma and Ami start to leave and walks up to them.

"I really do hope we can be friends again Ami but if not I understand. Can I walk you two to the gate?" Rei with some hope.

"Sure Rei." Ami responds.

"So….ruff day huh? I mean with the army of youma and a new enemy, but at least we get a new ally." She says while looking at Ranma.

Ami stops walking, huffs and looks at Rei. "We may not have ever gotten that close, but I know you want to say something but are avoiding it. What is it Rei?"

Rei is little embarrassed to be read so easily but she charges ahead. "I'm not making excuses for my actions but I'm just hoping you might understand my feelings better when I tell why I was upset. Ami, my father kicked me out of my clan, because my mother cheated on him. I am Ronin. Grandfather is in the process of adopting me into my mother's clan but it's not final yet. That's all I wanted say. Well, that and I really did value your friendship you're an amazing person." When Rei finishes she starts to turn away from Ranma and Ami but she stops when she feels someone touch her arm. She is surprised to see it was Ranma not Ami that stopped her. Rei stands their moment wondering what is going on when neither speaks for several moments. Rei realizes they must be carrying on a telepathic conversation and wonders what they are saying to one another. From the way their facial expressions keep changing it must be an intense conversation. Ami finally holds her hands up in stop or I give up gesture, Rei's not sure but Ami finally looks at her.

"I'm extremely sorry to hear about what happened with your father Rei. No one deserves to be treated the way he treated you. Because of that and Ranma I've decided to give you another chance and are willing to start over if you are?" Ami says with some reservations.

"Of Course! Thank you Ami! I'm so glad you changed your mind!..." Rei gushes

"Don't thank me, thank Ranma she thought you deserved a second chance. This isn't going to be easy but I am sort of glad we can try again. Ready Ranma? We better go before mom starts worrying." Ami says while looking at the red head

"Go ahead Ami I'll catch up in a second." Ami gives Ranma a funny look before she walks away. When she gets out of ear shot.

"Rei I feel for you, I really do. My father and yours are very similar it seems and I also believe everyone deserves a second chance, Rei. Please, please don't blow it ok?"

"Sure Ranma and Thank you." Rei says with a tear in her eye.

Ranma leaves quickly to catch up Ami. Rei turns and walks back the shrine with a little more hope in her heart.

At the Time Gate

Setsuna has a large smile on her face following the impromptu slumber party she was invited to. A small giggle also escapes her lips remembering how Michiru and Hotaru double teamed Haruka with a makeover. It was a fun night forgetting their responsibilities and just being silly and having fun. She cannot remember the last time she had any fun at all let alone let loose and acted silly for silly sake. But there is a time and place for everything and now it was time for her to get back to work. A large hope had grown in her that after tonight, the horrible future she foresaw with the Senshi civil war might be avoided. Setsuna called up Garnet Rod and summoned the power of the time gate to activate and show her the most probable future. The great gate of time hums and pulsates with untold power. Finally an image starts to from, at first it is too horribly distorted to make out anything. But slowly the image comes mostly into focus. It is a picture of Usagi in her Sailor Moon form battling some unseen foe. Usagi must hear something from behind because she spins around quickly and dodges an incoming attack that looks extremely familiar. A blast finally catches Usagi in stomach knocking her hard into a brick wall causing spider web cracks. The view zooms out showing Sailor Mercury running toward Usagi. Mercury starts to help Usagi up only get to get inpatient with her fumbling and slams her against wall again causing some of the bricks to dislodge. Mercury creates a vicious looking sword made of ice in her left hand. Mercury cruelly waits for Usagi to get to her hands and knees before she swings the sword separating Usagi's head from her shoulders. Setsuna stops the image there as she falls to her knees sick to her stomach. This is wrong, so very very wrong. The image was crystal clear making this horrible future almost certain. No she won't accept this! She is missing something, something important! She takes a deep breath and steels herself to rewind the image and watch for details.

Malatif in the Negaverse

She stands outside chambers of her master hoping her one bit of good news will save her from oblivion for the utter failure of the mission. She takes a deep breath and tries to step into her master's cambers with confidence.

"How did the battle go Malatif?" Jadeite ask in neutral tone.

"Not well Master. The scouts used battle tactics they never demonstrated before and the Ki user seems stronger than our last battle." Malatif finally gets to part of the report that she fears will end her life. "The special youma's mist ability didn't seem to any effect on the Ki user's sanity.…"

"What!" Jadeite yells

"The Ki user, she didn't seem affected at all." Jadeite radiates power showing his displeasure. Malatif hurry's her report along. "But its secondary effect was more effective than we thought it might be master!" This causes Jadeite to seem confused for moment gutting his power show.

"Explain."

"The secondary effect of the mist was to draw the Ki user to the youma. It did master, it drew ALL them to it." She says this part with great satisfaction. It takes a second but it slowly dawns on Jadeite what she means.

"How many, Malatif?" Jadeite says looking very hungry.

"10 Master. Maybe 11 one didn't make to the conflict area before the others departed but he seemed to have power as well." Jadeite falls back in his chair in astonishment.

"11 more Ki adepts, 11 Malatif! This calls for a change in tactics. Keep placing low level life force collectors around populated areas also build another special youma for trapping Ki users. See what you can do about fixing the ability to make Ki users go insane and make it more powerful this time. When you get done with that come back here I want your help in designing a new youma!"

Malatif took her master collapsing in maniacal laughter as her dismissal. Her master wants her help in designing a new youma! Her! Her master truly was honoring her.

Hikawa Shrine

The dust from all the destroyed seals lies forgotten in the meeting room. Rei probably thought she'd sweep when she got up but the dust had other ideas. As if caught by an invisible breeze the dust of the seals swirled around the room and out an open window not leaving a single particle behind.


	10. Chapter 10

Time Gate

Setsuna sets at her desk watching the time gate in front of her.

Having long grown tired of trying to find the detail that was bothering her about the image with Ami and Usagi that she couldn't put her figure on. So she got work on the other problem they had, saving Ranma's life from the two conflicting magic's within her. So Setsuna sets at her desk, that she teleported from her office at the school, watching lectures and taking classes from 10,000 years ago.

Right now she was glad that none of the girls knew what she did in the time gate, because, honestly she felt embarrassed that she was currently watching a Magical Theory 101 class now. Here she was the Planetary Guardian of Pluto, The Guardian of the Eternal Time Gate and one time adviser to Queen Serenity the VIII sitting in a freshman magic's class. But she guessed unless you use it every day it is easy to forget the knowledge you gained on your way up. Plus 10,000 years was one hell of a handicap when trying to remember details. Pushing this to the back of her mind Setsuna ready's her notebook for use when it looks like the lecture was about to start. She would have liked to fast forward instead of wait but the time gate can get finicky if you try to push it to fast forward to many times and she didn't want to lose her lock on this time and place.

"Welcome freshman to Magical Theory 101! This year I will try my best to get you to understand why magic acts the way it does. Also before any one ask we will not perform a single spell in this class." That gets a lot groans. "Now before I start the first lecture follow along while I read the syllabus." That gets a groan from Setsuna who is very tempted to try to fast forward. Twenty minutes later he finally finishes. "Now class any questions? Good now I will explain the very basics of magic today and slowly expand on what you learned." The professor first draws a large circle on the black board and puts a large dot at the top. "This circle represents all the different types of magic in the world today. At the top I placed a dot representing light magic, the magic I'd like you to note our own Silver Kingdom is based on. At the bottom we have black magic. On the far right between light and dark we have blood magic. It encompasses bits of both light and dark magic. Blood magic combines the life manipulating and twisting of black magic with the life sustaining magic's of white magic. It allows a blood magic user to twist a life form to suit their desires while keeping it alive or to twist a lifeforms very soul into a powerful spell. On the left side of the circle we have chaos magic which is not inherently good or evil. But as the name implies is very chaotic. A chaos magic user might perform a hideous act of evil right in front you only to save thousands tomorrow. Now both light and dark magic can be sub divided into more specialized magic's. Dark can be divided into void magic, infernal, necromancer and there are of course rarer forms which we will cover later on in the year. Light can be sub divided into divine, elemental, fauna and EX SE. As all of you SHOULD know our planetary guardians use elemental magic. I hope you are all taking notes because this will be on the test. Now who can tell me the difference between a telekinesis spell cast by void magic and one cast by light magic? No one? Okay the answer is nothing! Just the source of power of the spell."

Setsuna starts hearing that. No difference in the spell just its power source. Maybe they could separate the transformation spell from the blood magic and instead use the light magic that Ranma now has for a power source. Doing that they could let Ranma transform into the Mercury Knight destroying the blood magic. Now she just had to figure out how to go about doing that. Setsuna walks away looking for several text books she stored around the time gate so they would not be lost to the ages. Setsuna leaves the time gate running, a bad habit. The lecture keeps going even though the last living attendant is no longer paying attention.

"Now I want to cover one more thing before I let class out. Who can tell me Merlin's first law of magic? No one? I will remind this class that 10% of your grade is based on class participation. Merlin's first law is magic attracts magic. But the amount of attraction between magic's is not universal. The attraction between different types of magic's is based on their position on the chart. Of course Blood magic will be more attracted to other blood magic than white or black magic. But the chart is not set up randomly but based on attractions. So from the chart you can discern that infernal magic will be far more attracted to blood magic or chaos magic than white magic.

Hikawa shrine after the meeting

Ranma walks down the sidewalk at brisk pace wanting to catch up to Ami. She hoped she didn't go too far in trying to fix Ami and Rei's friendship but Rei seemed like a nice girl. A nice girl with a lot of baggage. But Ranma understood horrible parents better than anybody. Especially how they can twist you inside and cause you to lase out at others. Ranma gets to the bottom of the stairs in time to see Ami saying bye to Mina.

"I thought she left earlier?" Ranma asked.

"Oh she did, she came back because apparently one of the Ki masters left you a package then left without a word." Ami says.

With a resigned look. "Did the master happen to look like a gnome all wrinkled and short?" Ranma ask.

"That's about what Mina said, how did you know?"

Blowing her bangs in exasperation, "He is grandmaster of my school and a total pervert. Better just to toss that away Ami."

"I don't know Ranma, he seemed supportive of your decision to leave. It might be a good idea to look and see what it is at least. If it's nothing you can still throw it in the trash."

"Ok, hand it here let's see what the perv wanted to give me. Let's see it's…..green lingerie. That damned perverted lawn gnome! I'm gonna burn this and him next time I see him!"

"Wait Ranma don't!"

Ranma gets really red in the face. "umm Ami you want me to umm keep this!?"

"Yes, well it would look….never mind that, look at the paper it's wrapped in."

"huh?" Ranma drops the offending under garments to look at the paper. "It's, it's my certification for Mastery of the Saotome School!"

Ami straightens up from picking something off the ground and looks. "Ranma there's more pages."

"A teaching certificate too! I'm certified to teach Anything Goes!"

"What is the next one, Ranma?"

"It my certificate proclaiming me to be the Grandmaster of Anything Goes, it's dated for almost a year from now but not signed. The old man really expects me to win our duel."

Ranma falls on her butt and hugs the papers to her tightly.

"Ranma! What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong Ami. It's just that this is mine, mine alone. I have something of real value that my old man can't steal something that my mother can't devalue or brush off. My ten years of suffering has finally paid off. I finally have proof that achieved something Ami." Ami frowns deeply at that.

"Ranma while I am happy for you getting these. I believe you are down playing some very real and very great achievements." Ranma looks at her blankly. "Ranma how is it you have supreme confidence in your ability to defeat any opponent but don't see yourself as a special and unique individual with a lot to offer? Ranma I saw your life remember. First achievement which brought you a lot of trouble but is none the less very impressive. You beat Shampoo at her own tournament. You beat the grand child of the Matriarch in a martial arts tournament in a warrior culture. Another nice achievement you pretty much created another way to train in your speed boost technique and you created your own Ki attack. Ranma you may not believe me but these are things normal people simply cannot do. You're completely amazing and everyone else where you lived may have played that down, BUT YOU ARE AMAZING! Not to mention all the other great things you did."

"Thanks Ami." Ranma smiles shyly. "If someone as smart as you says it, it must be true." Ami smiles back.

"Your better believe it! Hey the ice cream shop closes in 15 minutes want to get some to celebrate this real quick." Ranma smiles a very Ranma-esque smirk.

"Only if you help me with a certain discount." Ranma leans over and whispers into Ami's ear causing Ami's face to turn 15 shades of red. For two reasons, one having the cute red head whisper in her ear like that was causing things down south to warm up and another was the things Ranma was suggesting she do for free ice cream.

"Ranma I don't think I can do that."

"Ami, I have trouble seeing the things I do as anything special, well, you have trouble seeing yourself as special. And, you are and I think this will help you see it. You are cute but you don't realize how cute, that is because I think you are comparing yourself to Mina and Usagi. Who are pretty in their own right but so are you, Ami your and Rei's beauty are more alike than Mina's and yours for one simple reason. Confidence, people can't see your beauty because you're shy, just like how people can't see Rei's for her anger. If one emotion gets too strong that's all people see. Believe me, I am confident in my martial arts, but since I got so confident that's all people saw, was this over confident martial arts jock and it hurts to be thought of so, so…."

"…one dimensionally. Like people only seeing a shy bookworm."

"Exactly."

Screwing up her confidence to the best of her ability. "Let's do this then!" Ami pronounces as she strides forward with confidence and purpose. Of course Ranma can't help but watch as the shy beauty she likes evolves some and becomes even more real and more beautiful to her eyes.

Tendo Dojo

Happosai sits puffing on his pipe deep in thought. For once it's not about undergarments or the worry about the future of his school. No the school couldn't be in better hands. In a few years he could see the boy doing great things with it, yes the school was in the best hands it could be. He wasn't worried about panties because he just went on a raid and that urge felt fulfilled, for the moment. No what had the ancient master worried was the massive demon incursion he just witnessed. He didn't know how those magical girls knew to be there, because that was an obvious trap for Ki users. But thank goodness they were. Had all those masters fought the demons, the demons might have got lucky and captured one, then they would all be swimming hip deep in demons. He hated to do it, but it seems it was time for serious training. Demons don't give up easily, but he would be damned if the Anything Goes School was responsible for the end of the world. Time to train the two idiots for real. This will be fun.

Akari's pig farm

Ryoga sits across from a very angry girlfriend with an even angrier sumo pig, Katsunishiki, behind her. She was almost to the hospital when Ryoga comes running out, half hobbling from injuries. She and Katsunishiki give chase but their distance from the hospital and Katsunishiki's great are size was actually a hindrance because of the people running away from where ever Ryoga is trying to go. Akari and Katsunishiki catch up not too far from where the battle is taking place, they can hear sound of people calling out the names of their attacks and the subsequent explosions. Katsunishiki easily knocks out Ryoga who either ran out of energy or his injuries caught up with him. Akari places her inert boyfriend on Katsunishiki and takes him back to the farm to finish recuperating and explain why he tried to run into battle when he couldn't beat a fly at the moment.

" heh, heh, fancy meeting you in Hokkaido….."

"Cut the stupid act Ryoga! What's going on! Why were you running into battle half dead? What was the battle even about? And why in the name in all that is holy do you guys scream out the name of your attack before you do it!"

Every man has that moment in his life when he knows he must lay it all the line before his girlfriend if he ever wants it to be a real soul deep relationship. This was his. He looks her deep in the eyes and says…

"Akari I'm going tell you everything I know and want you to know that I'm going to do everything I can to stop it, for you, for everybody. I would like to your blessing to help, but if not I'll do it anyway and beg your forgiveness afterward, if I survive.

Don't know when or how but demons invaded and set a trap for Ki users like myself. They used something that only Ki users could feel to draw us to the area. Whatever it was, it felt so wrong, I hope I never feel it again. Whatever it was it gave me the irresistible urge to go to it and destroy it. I wasn't the only one. Never knew there were so many Ki users in this area. When the feeling hit I felt them flare their Ki, so many masters. Before I collapsed I got close enough to sense the battle. The power of the demons and magic users was incredible. Of course Ranma was there I could identify his Ki from a mile away. The bastard was still holding back when I was possessed by the battle dogi. He was throwing around an amazing amount of Ki.

These monsters will be back I guarantee it. I only sensed around 30 this time, there may have been more. I MUST heal and train like never before. I won't let a demon destroy this world when I was just starting to find happiness." He lovingly holds her hand. "I won't let a demon destroy you."

Akari's eye's shimmer with equal parts determination and love. She quickly turns on her heel. "Katsunishiki let the others know to prepare to train with Ryoga non-stop once he heals." Katsunishiki snaps a crisp salute and leaves to his mission. "Ryoga what do you need to heal quicker?"

"Thanks Akari." He says with all his heart. "Food Akari, lots of it. Using Ki needs a lot of fuel and the hospital would only give me so much. With enough food I could heal in days."

"You got it." Akari jumps away a girl on a mission.

Miyagi Dojo

Kasumi and Ukyo awaken almost simultaneously both still in the positions they were knocked out in. They both notice the cold food in front of them and realize from the look of the fish and the hard rice they must have been out for some time.

They both turn toward the entrance as they hear someone entering the quite house. It's not long before they hear their master's voice. Coming from the front.

"I can tell you both are awake. Do you ladies mind clearing the ruined food from the table while I switch my shoes and unpack the take out I got for us? I know you both have questions but they can wait until after we eat. After all, we were all starving before the little interruption." Ukyo and Kasumi just look at each other and nod before getting to work. It goes swiftly since Kasumi was a professional homemaker and Ukyo a professional restaurant owner, both very used to the chore of cleaning food and dishes. They both have the table cleaned, what food could be saved put away and a new table set with a fresh pot of tea before Mr. Miyagi could finish dividing up the take out. Once they finish their Applebee's to go Kasumi puts her silver wear down and ask.

"I know a food bribe when I see one, master. Goodness knows I've seen it used on Ranma enough. Why?" Ukyo actually turns red at the memories of using such tactics on Ranma.

"No Kasumi, not a bribe. An apology to both of you. It's to say I'm sorry, for knocking you both out. And for what I'm about to ask. Kasumi, Ukyo in the time you've been here, you brought joy to me and pride. More pride in your generation then I've felt before. You both work hard, have unmistakable determination and strength of will, spirit and body. You are incredible and I am proud to have you as students. But what I am about ask could put you in danger, not for your life. But a fate worse than death itself. To become a demons chew toy is a fate the worst human doesn't deserve. But the demons will be back and in greater numbers of this I'm sure. I know asking you both to become disciples not of my school but of a noble yet dangerous way of killing demons is a lot to ask. If you both decline I will not be offended, killing demons is a far cry from studying martial arts." Mr. Miyagi couldn't say whether he hoped they accepted or not. He was very torn about even asking the only person he thought was worthy of the Miyagi school to her potential death. Ukyo was amazing as well, but already set in her ways as martial artist in terms movement style and reactions, if not for that she would have made a fine heir as well.

Mr. Miyagi was so enthralled in his introspection that he didn't notice the girls staring intently at him obviously wanting his attention. He looks up to see a surprising look of steely determination on Kasumi's face that is perfectly mirrored by Ukyo.

"I think I speak for us both when I say we will give our all to this on one condition." Kasumi said in cool and calm voice that reminded Mr. Miyagi of his wife when she was mad at him before she died.

"What is your condition, Kasumi?" he ask.

Ukyo picks up the conversation from here. "Tell us everything that happened tonight and why you needed to knock us cold." Ukyo also says in a frigid tone. Defiantly mad, Miyagi thinks to himself.

"I will tell you what happened and I hope you understand better my actions afterward. Tonight as we were ready to eat a wave of horribly tainted Ki rolled over the area. I've never felt anything like it before. It was like dyeing a thousand deaths and anyone with Ki sense would have felt it. I know Ukyo has it and believe you already have it or will soon Kasumi."

Kasumi's face turns sour at that statement.

"Please don't underestimate me master. I may not have the physical conditioning or skill of other martial artist but I did grow up in dojo with a mother and father martial artist who were very attentive to their first born and were extremely happy to teach her the signature move of the Tendo Dojo." Kasumi takes a deep cleansing breath and holds her hands together. Her hands slowly move to where they look like holding a handle to something. A round handle slowly forms in her hands, links slowly form on the end of the handle one by one until a spiked ball finishes it. Kasumi opens her eyes and lifts up the Ki construct, its glowing links making tinkling noise. "Ki weapons were my father's greatest achievement. The pinnacle of my family's school." It suddenly vanishes as Kasumi slumps down. "I can't hold it long but I do have Ki reserves and control." Mr. Myagi is shocked speechless. Ukyo comes running around the table to check on Kasumi.

"Kasumi you going to be ok?"

"Yeah just exshauted myself haven't done that in a long time."

"Umm Kasumi why did you make such a wicked looking mourning star mace?" Ukyo ask, curious.

Kasumi shrugs. "It's the weapon I've always made. Until you master the technique you can only make the weapon that comes to you. Mine has always been that." Something finally dawns on Ukyo.

"Is that were Akane got those mallets?" Kasumi just nods.

"Yeah. She and Nabiki were always ashamed of their weapons."

"Wait Nabiki can do it to! What does she make!?" A mischievous sparkle appears in Kasumi's eyes.

"A katana."

"Why would Nabiki be ashamed of that? Oh wait. No!?" A slow smile spreads across Kasumi's face.

"Yes." Kasumi smiles wildly

"Kuno!" Ukyo says with shock

"Kuno." Kasumi confirms.

"How long?" Ukyo ask getting her hands on some grade A prime gossip, about Nabiki No less!

"Since middle school, of course he wasn't so bad back then you understand."

"It makes so mu…." A loud clearing of the throat stops Ukyo from finishing her thought and making her realize they got completely side tracked here.

"Yes, well, thank you for that Kasumi I know where to better focus our training now. But back to the demon invasion tonight. It was a trap for Ki users, no doubt about that. The tainted Ki brought masters from all over the area right to the demon horde. Some I knew like Happosai and Ms. Copeland others I only knew by description, and reputation. When I arrived, the battle had already started but somehow magical girls have intervened. I don't know if they knew of the trap or just stumbled upon it. Don't really matter, we can't count on them to fight our fights. These demons are after us. They fought decently for magical girls and they killed all but one demon. This demon seemed designed for defense against magic they all fought it together to no avail. Then a very a powerful red headed girl I hadn't noticed before for watching the colorful magical girls stops fighting to charge her Ki. With a battle raging just fifteen feet from her, this battle hardened girl finds her center and is able to build her Ki back up. I found that on it its own to be impressive enough but she was also keeping track of the battle as well. The smallest and obliviously lest trained magical girl got into an unfortunate spot and allowed the demon to get a solid face shot in that sent her flying. This amazing girl used a burst of speed to catch the magical girl and safely hand her off to a friend. She seemed extremely offended by the demons actions if her aura was any indication. She had an aura unlike anything I've ever seen, she had to be a master. Then just as sudden her aura was under complete control and condensed it into some kind of ice attack that trapped the demon in a large block of ice. I thought this an odd move until she walked up to the frozen demon and forced her Ki into the all the breaking points of the ice all at once. Turning the ice itself into a giant bomb with the demon in middle. The explosion finally overwhelmed her, had it not I would be very afraid of her, but the collected masters still showed her there respects. She deserved it and I left. That's it the whole story."

Kasumi and Ukyo are grinning madly at one another.

"Master did this girl had big blue eyes…" Kasumi ask

"…have her red hair braided in a pigtail wearing….." Ukyo continues.

"…Chinese tangs in probably in black and red." Kasumi finishes. Mr. Miyagi is stunned and pole axed looking back and forth to the girls.

"You know this master?" he stammers out after moment.

Kasumi puts her finger on her chin thought.

"Well I suppose she is now since she did challenge her father for the title. But yes we both know Ranma well. Ukyo was engaged to him for a time as well."

"You were engaged to a girl…wait I've heard of Ranma but I thought Ranma was a boy?"

"He is." Kasumi says

"But you said this red head girl is Ranma." He ask.

"She is Ranma." Ukyo supplies.

"…."

Let's leave the ladies to their little bit of payback.

Home of Dr. Ono Tofu

Dr. Tofu sits in his western style living room staring at his Skelton Betty but not really seeing her. In his mind's eye he his replaying the battle over and over. But no matter how hard he focuses or what self-hypnosis technique he uses he can't remember the magical girl's faces. None the less, he is pretty sure the girl that got sent flying was Ami. There was no mistaking the red head for Ranma. Also you don't need a doctorate to tell Ranma likes Ami and Ami adores Ranma. He heard the tales of what happens to people that bothers the people he considers close. From his time in Nerima and what he knew of Ranma's character, he didn't think Ranma would kill. But the rumors where there. He was also worried for Dr. Mizuno, Saeko. Did she know what Ami did and that those costumes where so short. She probably did know about that, the costumes that is, everyone in this district seems to know about the magical girl group. Tofu lets out a big sigh. Thinking about these things was distracting him from the most important issue. Demons were coming, and for once they weren't after the magical girls. They were after him and all those like him. They wanted Ki. And unlike the others he didn't have as far to travel to get to the battle so he saw early on what force the demons had expended on their first attempt at Ki. This was no minor demon crossing, this was probe of defenses and to see how many Ki users they could get. Tofu gets up and turns to Betty. "Sorry Betty but it's time to train."

Misty Copeland's Tokyo apartment

For the first time since starting the training of her dreams and nightmares, Akane wakes up to her own circadian rhythm. Akane slowly raises out bed stretching out stiff muscles and popping stiff joints. The rigors of true training are hard on body but she wouldn't stop now for nothing. But she is curious about the sudden change in routine, a small part of her conciseness is worried that her master's changed their mind about training her. Pushing that silly thought aside Akane makes her way to the bathroom to take of her needs and freshen up. On her way out she smells the beginnings of the western style breakfast that Misty seemed to prefer. Akane's mouth watered at the thought of breakfast, not only because training that hard burned an insane amount calories but because Misty could COOK! She was a wiz with an egg, an artist with pancake batter, a savant with bacon! She lets out a wistful sigh, Misty is one of the best, if not the best ballerinas in the world, a master martial artist AND a great cook. It would be so easy to jealous of her if she wasn't so nice. She more often than not carries Akane back to the apartment. That's another thing, Misty opened her home to her and made her feel welcome. Misty even told her she should consider it her home as well. As Akane reaches the bottom of the stairs she sees all her masters at the table. This was either very good or very bad. Considering the grumpy expression on Misty's face it's probably bad.

"Masters" Akane bows respectfully. Misty told her not to be formal in the apartment but considering all her masters were present, better safe than sorry.

"Akane I've told you NOT to be formal in the apartment. And right now I don't care if your respectful to these guys or not!" Misty snaps at Mikhail, Saenchai and Carter.

"Misty whether you agree with it or not this involves her and they will come for her weather she trains or not, you cannot protect her all the time you must see that." Carter tries his argument again.

"Old Russian proverb, the deaf man will not hear you no matter how loud you scream." Mikhail offers.

"Shut up, Mikhail" Carter and Misty shout at the same, apparently tired of Russian proverbs. Mikhail simply holds his hands up in a surrender jester.

"Arguing more will solve nothing. It is her life you argue about." Saenchai gestures to Akane. "Lay all the facts before her and let her decide and honor her decision whatever that may be." Saenchai really liked living up to his reputation of only speaking when he something to really say.

"What's going on masters? I've never seen any of you argue before, what's this about?" Akane ask.

"You three leave, I'll talk to her." Carter gives her the Spock eye. "I'll tell her everything I promise, ok?" Carter just nods while still doubtful he is unwilling to question her honor when she promised. The masters file out her apartment stoically but inwardly down cast for not being able to enjoy any of Misty's wonderful cooking. Once the front door is shut and Misty has gotten to point where she could put the food on stand-by without it getting ruined. She sits across from Akane at the dining room table. She takes a deep breath and still doesn't know where to start even after using the food to stall.

"Akane you are, you are the first ever student of our combined dance/martial artist style and we are all very proud of you. But you need to know we have tried to spread our teachings and share our wisdom with others, only to be ridiculed, mocked and even been laughed at, right to our faces. By martial artist and dancers alike. We should have known better really, dancing and martial arts are steeped in tradition and resist change strongly. Carter was the one to come up with the idea of taking students young rather than try to recruit the more experienced. But we all learned from our rejection from our colleges. The students we pick would have be special. They'd not only have to be interested in dance and martial arts but they'd have to be _good_ at both."

"Why is that?" Akane ask curious about where this is going.

"Think about it Akane if we start with someone fresh who's never done dancing or martial arts who's to say they would be _able to_ do both. If they couldn't we would waste our time teaching them anything because they wouldn't be able to follow the philosophy of our school." Misty looks at Akane expectantly.

"Dance strengthens the Martial arts, Martial arts strengthens Dance." Akane says with practice and confidence.

"Very good. You are simultaneously our student and our validation. It had taken so long to find you that I was beginning to lose hope that we could become legitimate branch of the arts and share our experiences with the world without being laughed at as a fringe group with weird ideas. We have a dream where dance will be taught in dojos to complement their lessons. Where martial arts will taught in dance studios to complement their lessons. It wouldn't have to be to our level, just to enrich the fun and joy of the experience and show the students the point and counter-point of speed, balance and power that drives dance and martial arts. So you see exactly what you mean to all of us and why we were fighting about your future Akane." Until now Akane was doing this to fulfill her dreams and find her validation as a dancer and martial artist. She never knew that her Masters' hope and dreams also rested on her. It made her feel unbelievably proud that they trusted her with that and scared that she would let them down.

"Thank you Misty for trusting me with so much." Akane says with a choked up voice. Misty's face grows grim and hard.

"Don't thank me Akane. There's more. Even though the establishment doesn't recognize us as masters. The greater martial arts community does. And they showed us all the dark corners and hidden things that the best martial artist in the world have worked hard to keep hidden and away from the general public. One of these things are demons. We were told that generally one or two demons usually crossover at time. They come to our dimension to wreak havoc eat humans and then they leave when they have their fill. That is their pattern and they NEVER deviate from it and they most definitely are not organized." Misty stops to take a breath.

"I'm sensing a 'until know' coming." Akane says very quietly

Misty nods her affirmation. "Yes, Akane, until now. Last night after you passed out from exhaustion again. We really need to work on your stamina by the way. Not that I mind carrying you back every day." Misty winks teasing the younger girl. Akane blushes bright red. "Anyway, last night a horde of demons set a trap for Ki users. They brought in an army of demons and then released a massive wave of tainted Ki threw the city. The tainted Ki was sickening. It could drive anyone mad that has Ki sense. It made you have the irresistible urge to find the source and destroy it. We went to the source only to find every master in the area in the same spot. However, somehow some magical girls had intervened on our behalf. They destroyed the source of the tainted Ki and fought the army of demons, not well but they fought them. Except for the master fighting with them, that girl was amazing. She single handily destroyed a demon the magical girls couldn't scratch." With a cross between bored and annoyed look on her face. Akane states with an almost smug voice.

"Was it a short red haired girl wearing Chinese tangs in black and red?"

"Yeah." Misty draws out the word for three syllables. "How did you know?"

"She is my former fiancé. I'm still not sure whether to be mad or thank him." Akane just shrugs helplessly.

"SHE was your fiancé?" Misty ask doubtfully. Akane finally picks up on the pronoun and turns 50 shades of red.

"No, no, no, no, no, it's not like that, you see he, she. Crap." Akane realizes that explaining this to someone outside Nerima would be neigh impossible and uncomfortable for her, explaining her relationship with Ranma. "You'll just have to meet him to see it. What where you going to say?" Misty could tell this was a difficult subject for Akane and let it drop for now. But having a difficult relationship with someone they might have to work with in the near future is something that they will definitely need to address.

"A demon army invading earth means we, as all your masters', need to be on the top of our game. Which means we need to train, hard, we can't count on random magical girls always being there to save us. We must be ready to defend this realm. That's leaves us with two choices. One; to stop your training until this crisis has passed. Two; for you to train and fight with us. Which I am firmly against." Misty leans over grasp Akane's hand and looks her in the eyes. "I know you want to help and do your martial artist duty and help others. But sweety, you MUST know that if we are captured the LEAST horrible they will do is kill us. PLEASE tell me you understand." Misty looks at Akane whom she considers HER protégé, with pleading eyes.

"Master, Misty I understand completely. You and the others won't have time to watch me in the middle of a life and death battle and I know I'm not that good yet. But Misty please understand I can NOT stand idly by while our very existence is in jeopardy and do nothing to try and stop it. If I can do nothing but help you and the others train for it, I will do that. But please don't ask me to do nothing, please, please." Akane looks back at Misty with her large brown eyes shining with coming tears, begging not be sent away. Misty can't help but think sending Akane away at this very moment would destroy their relationship and destroy Akane's trust in people forever. That maybe she would see it as them abandoning her, like her father's emotional abandoning after mother's death.

"Okay Akane let me finish breakfast then we can eat. Then we will relax for today. Turn on Netflix if you want, we are going to make the most of our day off." She turns back toward the stove. And mutters to herself. "Then we train like hell is after us, because it is"

Mizuno household that night

(Knock knock)

Ami looks up from the book she is reading kind of expecting a visit. Because of the weird look her mom gave Ranma and her when they came in tonight.

"Come in Mom." The adult Mizuno steps in taking a moment to appreciate her teenaged daughter and cursing herself for missing so much of life by hiding in her work.

"Might if I sit with you?" Ami sets up from where she was laying on her bed reading a book. Her mom sits beside her the on the bed.

"So, what are you reading?" Saeko ask as an ice breaker.

"String Theory and Black holes; an exercise in interdimensional spacial folding by Dr. Sheldon Cooper. It's interesting but I think he tried to over simplify his theories for a broader audience."

"Really? Ami honey I you know you like to study but you can read stuff just for fun…"

"MOM to me this IS fun I enjoy this. Just so you know I do read fiction titles as well. There is just very little I like."

"I'm sorry Ami. I just want to make sure you have fun and enjoy life some. I know, (deep breath), I know for a long time you were left alone by me and you had to try and fill the void of loneliness with studies and it was my fault…." Saeko is interrupted by Ami hugging her mom.

"Mom I forgave you, yes I was lonely and hurting but I could have tried harder to reach you. Yes I tried to get your attention by over achieving but I came to realize that I like learning, I like complex ideas and theories, I like puzzles and the hunt for solutions is extremely satisfying. Ranma called me an artist of knowledge, because there was a difference in knowing something and knowing how to apply that knowledge. It was extremely sweet but honestly I really, really like it. An artist of knowledge is what I am mom. So thick books with long hard to pronounce titles makes my mouth water ok." Ami gives her mom one last encouraging squeeze. Before she lets go.

"Speaking of making your mouth water let's talk about Ranma."

"MOM"

"Sorry sweetheart, but you have an extremely attractive boy in the next bedroom. So we really need to talk."

"Mom we are not, doing anything, nor will we for a long time. Even IF Ranma wasn't afraid to touch me because of those violent girls that were chasing him. We are far, far too young."

"While I found that extremely reassuring sex isn't what I was talking about. Ami you're a smart girl, do you know what nightingale syndrome is?"

"Yes. It's where a caregiver falls in love with patient. Do you think that is what's happening to me?"

"It's a possibility Ami, Ranma was very hurt when you brought her to us. You helped me bring her back to health. Then we learned Ranma was very, very damaged from being in an abusive home and relationship. Ami when we are lonely sometimes we go looking for non-threating project people to help. We nurture them bring them back to health and we pin our feelings on them. Plus this weird Ki thing I caused by messing with things I don't understand. I don't want you thinking that's its destiny and you to where meant to be together just because you have this telepathic link."

"Mom, I don't honestly believe its nightingale syndrome or flighty dreams of destiny. We have a lot in common believe it or not plus he gets me to try things I never dreamed of and makes sure I fun doing it. Plus did you know he is probably a genius level or smarter! He passed a high school entry exam with less than 5 years formal education. If his dad hadn't drug him off to train he could be smarter than me! Ranma is wonderful person mom and I don't want Ranma to ever be hurt again. I don't know if that is love or not but I want to find out. I promise to be careful."

"I am so proud of you Ami. You are smart but I now know you're mature as well. But now we need to talk about your little secret."

"Oh God." ( _Please don't mean Sailor Mercury_ )

"It's okay Ami before I met your father I umm, played the field as well…"

"Mom! What! No! I do not need to hear about your sex life! Male, Female any of it! No!" ( _I wish she meant Sailor Mercury now_!)

"Calm down, I won't tell any stories ok."

"Good."

"I just want you to know, don't ever be ashamed of what you feel and I love you no matter what."

"Thanks mom, really, thank you that always feels good to hear. I never felt an attraction to girls until Ranma. But it doesn't feel like that, it's like, male, female it don't matter because it's Ranma. Does that make sense?"

"It makes a lot of sense s/he certainly is special. Don't know why nobody saw it before."

Next door a young teen lies in bed, back against the wall with two small tears reflecting in the moon light on his cheeks as he lays awake with these words ringing in his ears.

 _he is probably a genius….._ _don't want Ranma to ever be hurt again….._ _male, female it don't matter because it's Ranma…_ _s/he certainly is special_

Cat Café

Two young warriors still sit in their battle armor across from a very agitated elder. Both would have preferred to take off their armor and been in bed long ago. But the chastisement they got for being so slow to dawn their armor and arrive at the battle still rung in their ears. So they sat until dismissed which they hoped would happen soon. The Elder has either sat in stony silence or puffed agitatedly on her pipe since she finished with her berating of youths. Finally after beating her third pile of ash out of the pipe Cologne speaks startling Shampoo and Mousse.

"Mousse, I have a very important duty for you. I need you to first get some food to eat and then rest well tonight. Then in the mourning you will pack a travel bag light enough for your duck form minus the weight for two scrolls. Which I will make shortly and give you in the mourning. Do not attempt to open them, I will be placing protective seals on them both. Then you will fly STRAIGHT back to our village only stopping for water. Understand?"

Mousse swallows a lump in his throat something big is going on. "Yes, Matriarch. Who do I deliver the scrolls to?"

"You will only deliver them directly to the council of elders. Do NOT give them to a messenger, a clerk, runner, or ANYBODY. YOU, yourself will hand this to the speaker in the council. If you do otherwise, I will have a new feather pillow. I'm done with you. GO."

Mousse is relieved to getting out of his armor, but scared senseless of what was going on. He really didn't need much encouragement to get some food and rest it was going to be one hell of a flight to china.

Once Mousse had followed her orders and was out of sight. Cologne's face softened. "Come here great granddaughter."

"Yes grandmother." When Shampoo is within arm's reach Cologne hugs her tight. Without letting her go Cologne speaks.

"I'm sorry I haven't done this more Granddaughter but as Matriarch I must be careful about showing weakness as leader, lest my enemies in and out of the tribe think me, and you by extension weak. We will have very little time for this in the very near future, little one."

"Why grandmother?"

"We are at war child. Our worst nightmares have come true. The Demons have organized and it looks like they are scouting for an invasion. Some magical girls and Ranma have defended us this day."

(Shampoo scoffs) "Of course Ranma was there."

"Indeed, it seems that trouble still follows him like a lost puppy."

"Did he seem like he was doing ok?"

"Oh ho worried about your former fiancé' are we?"

"We did spend a lot time together, and fought together, defended each other. Yes I worry for him, he is an amazing fighter but his weak spots make him venerable. His heart is too soft and is far, far too naïve."

"You are right in all aspects, granddaughter. He seemed well and unless I miss my guess is allied with those magical girls I saw."

"Oh God Ranma hanging around with magical girls! Wish I could see that!"

(Chuckles) "Yes, Ranma has ways of making the improbable, possible in fights and almost impossibly funny awkward situations. Better get to bed little one we train to push back the gates of hell tomorrow."

Shampoo nods her acceptance and makes her way to bed. Cologne hears her mumble about being able to stay in Japan. Cologne just shakes her head. That child, always trying to put a positive spin on things. She hoped this didn't destroy that positive attitude. Cologne was tired herself but she had two scrolls to write and seal with both mundane, and mystic ways before she goes to bed. She wished she didn't need to trust such sensitive information to Mousse, but he was the fastest way to deliver it.

She wished she could have convinced the council to spend a couple hundred thousand of their treasure to get satellite receiver for cable, internet and phone. But the fools were worried outside influence would dilute their way of life and culture. Idiots. Yeah things might change some, but even the lowest warriors know information is life. Like how big the enemy army is, where the enemy is, how fast his is the army. This is the power of knowledge, the more you know, the weaker your enemy's techniques, the bigger his weak points. So they horded and saved knowledge, hid it away in the most isolated spot they could find. Preserving knowledge was their primary duty. But they went to such lengths and took so many precautions to do it that they failed in their secondary duty. So now the guardians were reborn during her lifetime and they had no idea, so she has failed in her duty. Unfortunately they have greater concerns right now that must be addressed first. If humanity survives she will deal with it then.

Mizuno Household morning

Ami stretches from a great night's sleep. Nothing says 'a good night' like falling asleep with a great book. Ami set the book on her night stand to finish tomorrow and lets out a little sigh. That is a great book and she would finish it tomorrow. Sometimes she just wishes they would last longer. Before she gets up she checks to see where Ranma is. In the short amount time they have shared the link she is surprised how comforting it is to have someone always there. To always have somebody to share your thoughts and opinions with and, she never thought about but it felt incredible to have Ranma always want to share his thoughts and feelings with her as well. As smart as they both are it didn't take long to figure the little intricacies of their link. Like concentrating on the link can give them the detailed thoughts of the other and even let you look through their eyes giving a weird double vision. Like right now Ranma is in his male form working on an extremely complex martial arts technique in the garden. Ami sends 'Good Morning' threw the link to Ranma.

'Good Mourning Ami!' Ami can feel the smile and good mood threw their link.

'You're in good mood this morning, Ranma.'

'Your Mother was extremely grateful for the breakfast I fixed this morning and she offered to let me call her "mom" which means so much to me.' Ami's eyes tear up at hearing that, she was proud of her mom right now. 'And I've almost got this hidden weapons technique mastered!'

'That's great! What's a hidden weapons technique?'

'I'll show you while we are eating after you get done getting ready.'

Ami's curiosity was peeked so she hurried her mourning routine along to see what surprise Ranma had for her today. She wondered if she would ever have a boring day with Ranma around.

Ami had just hit the bottom of the stairs as Ranma was placing a fresh pot of tea on the table. The finishing compliment of a traditional Japanese breakfast. Ami sang Ranma's praises in between bites. Ranma was an amazing cook. Perhaps as good as Makoto. When she finally finished, she was stuffed to the gills. Normally Ami had little to no breakfast in the mornings but this was just so good she had try everything.

"Ranma, where did you learn to cook like that? It's incredible!"

"I had to learn to cook as soon possible on the road with pops. 'Bout the only time I could get to the food first was when I cooked it. Plus I worked at several restaurants even before settling down last year and well, my mom taught me a few things when she thought I was a girl staying with the Tendos." Ranma says the last part with embarrassment.

Ami smirks "I'm glad one of us can cook. I look forward to what else you can do."

"All that time alone and you never cooked anything?" Ranma ask.

Ami shrugs. "Not a priority for me. Maybe if I burned calories like you did it might been a need to know thing, but I mostly just microwaved myself something or fixed something simple like microwaved ramen and fish."

"Yuck I've had microwaved fish, I believe I'll just cook from now on."

"Fine with me! So what do want to do today?"

"Your mom said to be home when she gets off work. We're going have some guest. What time does she get off?"

"She usually gets home about 5, so we got all morning. Got anything you want to do?"

"Only thing I wanted to do today was master hidden weapons and I did that." Ranma just shrugs.

"OH my GOSH! Ranma I'm so, so sorry I was so busy stuffing my face you didn't get a chance to show me your new technique! I can't believe I acted like Usagi and ate while ignoring everything else!"

"Ami its fine, I was having fun watching you enjoy your food. It almost as fun as watching you get in groove at the ice cream place. Getting four extra scoops and three candied cherries on top. Amazing for your first try."

"RANMA!" Ami squeaks in embarrassment! "I can't believe you talked me into to that or how competitive you were. I can't believe how completely shameless you were, laying on the helpless girl act." Ami makes her eyes big as she can while looking up through her eye lashes and in her best mimicry of Ranma's female voice. 'oh gee mister I sure wish I could afford more than one small scoop." and licks her saucily.

"Oh yeah, what about your super cute act and coming in store all super hyper bouncy ordering a big Sunday getting all those cherries and then when he rings it up you start balling your eyes out crying, blubbering about how you only have 1.50. Then when he reduces your price to 75 cents." Ranma leans forward and tries to make his eyes big and shiny while trying to mimic Ami's voice. "Really mister you'll do that for me? Oh thank you, thank you." He pretends to grab an ice cream and tries to walk away doing a sexy butt wiggle. He turns around to see Ami red in the face with both hands over her mouth. Finally she can't hold in anymore and folds over laughing so hard she nearly hurts herself. Ranma can't help himself and starts laughing at Ami, who can't get the image out of her head of guy Ranma doing an impersonation of her from last night.

Its takes several moments for Ami and Ranma's laughter to die down to random giggles and chuckles. Ami still lying on the floor turns to look at Ranma, to really look at him. How can anyone really take such a wonderful person for granted? As soon as she finishes the thought Ranma turns to look her in the eyes smiles that roguish grim of his,

"I just about to think same thing about you."

Ami face palms, again the link has managed to embarrass her, but she can feel the truth behind Ranma's words, the lack of pretense or false hood. They will never be able to speak a lie one another as long as they shared their link. Ami felt the great comfort that brought to Ranma and to be honest it also gave her no small amount of comfort.

Ami finally raises up off the floor and tries to straighten her clothes and regain some semblance of dignity. "So Ranma can I see this hidden weapons thing now?"

Ranma smiles and lets the four foot tall Buddha statue that was in Mizuno's garden fall from his sleeve. Ranma loves watching Ami's shocked expression turn to thoughtfulness then to calculating as she tries to figure it out and thinks it was totally worth the wait. Ranma can feel Ami doing all kinds of calculations and measurements. In just under 30 seconds she had already calculated the rough volume of the statue and its surface area. Then she started on dimensional folding and Ranma tried to follow along but quickly got lost. Ami quickly pulls her Mercury computer from subspace, and Ranma ask her about how she did that and if it was related to his hidden weapons technique.

Ami actually wasn't sure, she had never thought about how she was able to do it, she just did. This caused an animated conversation between Ami and Ranma. Ami put her computer on auto-record and pulled it in and out subspace several times and had Ranma do the same thing with the statue while she recorded.

Saeko was pleasantly surprised at how easy her shift was today as she left the hospital to drive home. Not to be a negative Nancy, but it almost felt like a calm before a storm. She shakes her head to get rid of these negative thoughts today was going to be good day. Kimi (she was still trying to get herself use to calling Magisterium Kursage that.) was coming up and bringing Kirin with her. From what she could drag out of Kimi, Kirin and Ranma where extremely close. Several times she even let it slip that Kirin considered Ranma a big brother/sister. She hoped a little positive socializing would help both Ranma and Ami. Ami told her that her old friends had apologized and tried to make up but she could tell that it cut her daughter deep. She didn't care if they did completely reconcile, if she saw any of them she was going give them a piece of her mind. Saeko gets out of her car wondering what Ami and Ranma got up to today. She had a momentary flash in her mind's eye of Ranma and Ami doing things they weren't ready for while all alone in the house. She squashed that thought rather quickly but it caused her to quicken her pace to the front door. From outside the door she could hear the excited voice of her daughter; "Ranma this is so exciting! This is going to change everything!"

"You think so, Ami?"

"Absolutely! Now do it again! (Giggle) This is fun!"

This is all Saeko needed to before charging in and yelling, "AMI! RANMA! YOU'RE HAVING…sex?" Of course the first part was yelled at the top of her lungs while running into the living room to find Ami sitting at the coffee table behind her laptop computer with Ranma dropping her garden Buddha from his…sleeve? Saeko just hides her face in hands, she just made an ass of herself.

(Giggles) "Why Ranma, why didn't you tell me we were having sex, I would have put my computer down." Ami says with a flirty voice.

"Well you know you looked busy didn't want to bother you." Ranma says with mock concern. Of this causes the two teens to crack up laughing. Saeko just groans and finally lets out a chuckle or to at the situation. Once they had their laugh. Saeko ask,

"I'm glad you're not doing…that, but what are doing with my garden Buddha?"

"Mom watch Ranma, this is so interesting!" Saeko wonders what exactly would make her daughter so giddy. She didn't have to wait long. Ranma put his hand on the top of the four foot tall statue, then suddenly it almost starts to bend then starts to disappear into Ranma's sleeve until the whole statue is gone. Saeko just stands their stunned for a moment and all she can think is, Ranma really loves breaking the laws of reality doesn't he.

"That's amazing, but could put it back please, our guest should be in about hour. Ami could set out the food were planning on cooking, and get it washed while I change. Help her please Ranma once you've replace my yard ornaments."

Ranma comes into the kitchen to see Ami cleaning the rice and all of their vegetables laid out.

"Want some help?" Ranma ask

"Yes please could you start cutting up the vegetables please?" Ami says. Ranma just nods and washes his hands and grabs a knife tosses all the vegetables into the air and to Ami's naked eye it looked like Ranma only swung the knife three times. But all the thinly sliced perfectly lined up vegetables were evidence to the contrary. Saeko walks in as the last piece of cut cucumber hits the table and rolls perfectly into place beside its fellows and falls over.

"Is there anything you can't do well Ranma? That was amazing."

"Thanks Miss….ummm thanks mom." Ranma was embarrassed saying that, so he was looking down scratching the base of his pigtail when Saeko and Ami looked at each other and smile to each other.

All three jumped when they heard the front door slam open, Ranma started to prepare his Ki battle until he heard.

"BIG BROTHER!" as an extremely high pitched squeal. Kirin speed into the kitchen and immediately attached herself to Ranma. Surprised for only moment Ranma smiles a gentle smile, that any who knew him in the Tendo's would find alien, and picks up the tiny girl who laughs happily and hugs Ranma tightly. Saeko and Ami where completely caught up in the sweet moment. So the next sound caught them completely off guard.

"KIRIN KURSAGE! APOLOGIZE TO THE MIZUNOS RIGHT THIS INSTANT AND GET BACK HERE AND ENTER THIS HOUSE LIKE YOU HAVE SENSE AND AREN'T A WILD ANIMAL!" Screams a furious Kimi, they had just spotted the house when Kirin asked who they were visiting. Kimi thought they were close enough that it was safe for her to tell Kirin that they visiting Ranma. She was wrong. As soon as the words left her lips, Kirin shot off as fast as she could at a full sprint. Kimi being older, not athletic never stood a chance.

"Save me Ranma." She whispers into Ranma's ear.

"I'll try, but you do need to apologize to Saeko and Ami and your grandmother. I am extremely happy to see you little sister but you were rude to your Grandmother and the Mizunos. You know that right."

"I'm sorry but I just really, really wanted to see you! I was worried about you." She says the last part as starts to cry and tears roll down her checks.

"Kirin-chan. Why were you worried about me?" Ranma ask, worried what she might have heard and heart warmed that she cared.

"Grandma said when we left you didn't have a home and you didn't want to stay with us and all those people were being so mean to you that day, they trying to hit you and saying mean things to you and Grandma wouldn't let me go hug you." Out of breath and crying slightly she turns her head into Ranma's chest and let's herself cry. Ranma hugs her tight and rubs her back. Kimi makes it into the kitchen in time to hear the last part, and just sighs and plops herself into a kitchen chair out of breath from chasing the child.

"Its fine Kimi, she is young and was obviously very worried about Ranma." Saeko says as she sets tea in front of Kimi and pours herself some.

"It's not fine, but you are extremely generous for saying so. I am sorry for her behavior."

"Like Mom said, it's ok and kind of sweet. Kimi-sama." Ami says as she sets a tray of cookies in front of Kimi.

"You can drop the sama part child, thank you for the thought. You are defiantly as wonderful as your Mom always says you are. But Kirin will apologize." She make sure to say that last part loudly and sternly making sure her granddaughter heard her. "Thank you for inviting us into your home, its lovely and honestly I thought you would have something a bit bigger than a three bedroom apartment. No offence but you are the head of the trauma department and the lead physician in cases of mass trauma cases."

"I just never felt that Ami and I ever needed anything fancier and honestly I put a lot away for Ami's education. When she goes to college I don't want money to be an issue I want her to go where she wants and study what she wants without worry."

"Smart girl. Ranma please bring Kirin over here so she can apologize and then you three can go play outback, while the parents cook. That ok with you Saeko?"

"Of course sounds great." Saeko happily agrees. Ranma brings the suddenly shy girl over and puts down in front of Saeko.

"Misses Mizuno, I'm so sowry I ran in here and acted like an animal. Please forgive me." The child radiated cuteness like a small sun so of course Saeko immediately forgave her. Ranma grabs her hand and leads her outback with Ami following.

"I really wish Ranma hadn't taught her to use her cuteness as a weapon, she gets away with far too much now."

"Wait Ranma taught her that?" Saeko ask shocked.

"Humpf, you obviously have never taken Ranma for ice cream, she has turned 'cute' into a deadly weapon."

"Looks like we may have to have ice cream for desert." The two women look at each other for second until they start laughing.

In the Mizuno's backyard

"Ranma want to introduce your little sister?" Ami ask. Ami was surprised at sheer amount caring, and protectiveness radiating from Ranma with this cute little girl.

"Sorry Ami. Ami this is Kirin Kursage my little sister and one brave little girl." Ami was now very curious, there was a lot of story behind those words.

"Kirin this is Ami Mizuno my….umm," Ranma nervously looks to Ami who smiles and nods. "Girlfriend."

"ohhhh big brother has a giiiiiiirrlfriend." Kirin runs up to Ami and tugs her shirt sleeve wanting her come down to her level. Ami bends down curious. Kirin makes the motion to come closer then whispers in her ear. "Please be nice to big brother." Then she leans back and looks Ami right in eyes and with all earnestness and pleading says please again.

She wants to protect Ranma, they really are siblings. Ami responds with, "I promise."

"Good." Kirin responds. As if that is all that's ever needed. The innocence of children. "Big brother show me how to dance again!"

"Dance?" Ami gives Ranma the Spock eye.

"he, he she means katas. She saw me practicing and called it dancing, I try to tell her it's not, but you know." Ranma shrugs helplessly. He goes over to the bird bath in garden and splashes himself to become herself. She answers Ami's mental question. "Just more comfortable teaching her this way, plus it's easier to show her the correct form of movement to her since body proportion, balance and weight distribution are closer to hers."

"Makes sense, I guess." Ami agrees.

"Join us Ami! Please!" Kirin directs the full power of her cute beam at Ami. Ami has never been interested in martial arts even knowing all the interesting things Ranma can do but she was really having trouble saying no to that cutie.

"Just give up and join us Ami. Her cuteness level is over 9000 and growing."

"Fine. I'll join you all." Ami gives up.

"Yayy!" Kirin celebrates another victory.

Ranma lines them up with Kirin in the middle and starts a very slow Tai Chi kata with its graceful sweeping movements which seemed to be Kirin's favorite. They quickly lose track of time as Kirin becomes enthralled in being able to move like big sister and Ami even gets into it as time seems to fly by. As Ranma leads them threw a cool down kata as they hear clapping from the back porch.

"Ranma I am again in your debt. Somehow against all odds you kept Kirin quite for over 2 hours and even got her to exercise. Amazing simply, amazing." Kimi slow claps.

"Ah, I never had a problem with Kirin. She's always been good for me. As long as Saeko and Ami don't mind you can bring her often." Ranma says.

"YEAH! I'm good! Ranma said so!" Kirin says indigent, as indigent as 4 year old can be.

"Sure, sure of course." Kimi was having fun teasing her granddaughter. "Wash up kids dinner is ready. Do you mind making sure Kirin washes her hands?"

"Not at all." Ami says as they head in.

Inside a feast is laid out with half a dozen side dishes a ham and meat loaf and fish galore.

"Mom why did you fix all this!?"

"I didn't sweety, I didn't fix a thing. Kimi fixed it all while we talked. She is most amazing." Saeko says a little shocked herself at how much and how quick she was able to fix the giant meal.

"I wanted to fix this as an apology for Kirin earlier and I really don't get to cook often anymore so it was a pleasure." Kimi says with pride at her work.

"But how?" Ami ask.

Kimi laughs, "When I was a young girl many years ago, my mother owned a catering company. She started it with the life insurance after my father died. The first few years were ruff, often I was her only employee. But I learned a lot, how to deal with people, hard work and most of all perseverance. Then it started to pay off Mother's company grew and grew. She even became quite famous. When I was fourteen she even got to cater the bi-annual gathering of the nobles at Emperor's palace." Kimi is lost in her memories for moment before she notices. "But you don't want to listen to old lady's stories eat up and enjoy!"

Ranma sits next to Kirin taking care of her needs the whole meal, fixing her plates and making sure she don't spill her drink to Kimi's relief. This allows Saeko and Kimi to continue their conversation and continue share and really enjoy their night. Finally after an hour everyone including Ranma is completely done with their meal and on and off snacking. They sat around the table enjoying light conversation and letting their meal settle until Kirin brought up an important subject.

"What's for dessert?"

"I think dessert are for good girls, what do think Saeko?" Kimi ask.

"Desserts are definitely for good girls, are you a good girl Kirin?"

"I'm a good girl!" Kirin protest.

"I don't know, do you promise to knock and walk in other people's house from now on?" Kimi ask her granddaughter.

"I promise. I'll be good." Kirin ask almost in tears thinking she won't get ice cream.

"In that case I think it's time for a walk to that ice cream place you were telling me about Saeko." This gets a cheer and rousing applause from the youngest of the group.

"Plus I get to see all those things Ranma taught you about ice cream discounts, Ami." Saeko says with a wink at Ami.

"Oh. My. God. How do know about that!?" Ami says very, very, red faced that you can even see threw her hands she's using to cover her face.

"Kimi told me about the discounts Ranma and Kirin like to get on ice cream and I thought if she did that with Kirin I'm sure she would try to get you in on it. I'm guessing that's what was responsible for that bewildered look you had when you and Ranma came back from the ice cream shop. Eh?"

"Yes." Ami says quietly and a little shamefaced.

"It's about time." Saeko says watching her daughter.

Shocked Ami says, "What do you mean about time!" Saeko walks up to her daughter and brushes her check and raises her chin so that she is looking her in the eyes.

"It's about time you gained some confidence about something other than your smarts. You're extremely intelligent and you have every right to be proud of that but that is not what defines you. Yes it a big part of you but your also beautiful, kind, and funny and so willing to go the extra for anybody that ask. I'm glad Ranma could help draw you out some. It's great to see some of that wonderful out going girl I used know when you were little."

Ami grabs her Mom's hand and holds it and says thank you with a shaky, choked up voice. "Thanks Mom."

"Can we get ice cream now?" Says the impatient one.

"Kirin!"

"No Kimi, it's okay we did promise her. Come on let's go."

The park across from the Ice Cream Parlor

Four ladies sat on park picnic table each enjoying large ice cream confections. The youngest was wearing a large amount of hers on her face and had several large drops on her shirt. The eldest Mizuno had a very satisfied smirk, while the younger kept giving her stink eye. The red head was having a hard time not bursting out laughing. The oldest lady was in far more control of herself but still couldn't keep a large smile off her face. The ice cream had yet to cool the younger Mizuno's ire even thought she was half way done. Unable to keep her displeasure to self any longer.

"I still can't believe you let me flirt and hit on that girl I thought was guy! Ranma why didn't say something! Mom you could said something too!" Ami protest

"Why would I? She went through the trouble to look like a boy and was enjoying the attention if the size of your ice cream is any indication. So what's the problem?" Saeko says

"Because!" Ami says suddenly stumped "I'm barley comfortable with boys and, and Ranma is the only girl I ever think about!" She said the last part a little louder than she wanted. "How did you know, Mom?"

"Medical professional, body shape even thought she was trying to hide it with her clothes, neck shape." Saeko responses. Ami looks at Ranma wanting some explanation from her.

"I just read her aura." Ranma shrugs like it's no big deal. Ami concentrated on their link to search for more. She could feel it the flirting was just another technique to Ranma. It's filed right along with her Ki blast, thief's cloak and body hardening. Ami just shook her head, Ranma was weird sometimes, but that just made her more appealing to her. Ami leans over and plants a surprise kiss on Ranma's cheek. Ranma surprised turns to look at her.

"What was that for?" Ranma ask

"For being you." Ami says turning back toward her ice cream before it melted. Ranma just looks confused for several minutes. Then mumbles loud enough for the table to hear.

"Never gonna understand girls." Which causes laughs all around the table. It would have been a beautiful memory for them to all to remember later if not for the group of heathens that took notice earlier when Ami was a little loud. The defacto leader which of course was the largest of the group comes over and sits on the edge table.

"Hello ladies." Says the grimy man who smells like he was doing a good job of protecting himself from a soap allergy. His clothes looked they were at the end of their lifespan with random holes almost evenly spaced with stains. What drew Ranma and Kimi's attention was the fact he wore long sleeves on such a warm day. "My friends and I couldn't but notice that you two fine lady's seem to appreciate each other's company too much. I believe me and my lads could help you out by showing all the fun you're missing." As if he wasn't being obvious enough he puts his hand on his crotch and pretends to shift something.

Kimi sees the boiling anger in Ranma's eyes and hopes she can defuse this situation. But it would require that this 'gentlemen' had more brains than hygiene skills. "Young man you need to leave, you were neither wanted nor invited and I strongly suggest you leave before I call my friends at police department and I'm sure they would interested in what tattoos you have under your sleeves."

"Hear that boys she 'strongly suggest' we leave." The buffoon gallery acts like that was the funniest joke in the world. "Lady you think we're hiding our triad tats, we're not. The boss ordered us to start wearing sleeves all the time to reduce public awareness or some shit. Also I couldn't really give a shit about your friends." Kimi starts to pull her cell phone out only for grimy to knock it out of her hand.

Everyone is bathed in red light as Ranma loses her temper and yells, "Enough! Ami make sure you keep an eye on Kirin and try not to let her see this." Ranma slowly stands not wanting to startle these guys and have them do something stupid, like pull a gun. She stands and walks slowly around the table toward grimy. She starts talking in a slow even voice that would give the impression of calm serenity were it not for the angry red fire of Ki dancing around her. "Do you talk to your fellow triads very often, the ones in the Nerima to be precise?"

Grimy didn't know this tiny girl but his instincts were screaming danger, but he couldn't show weakness, lest one of his mates try for a promotion by opening his position up. "What are you babbling about girly." He said trying to sound brave in front of his posse.

"Oh, just hoping they had spread the word not mess with Ranma Saotome or his friends." Ranma said now standing right in front of grimy.

The word had spread alright, it's hard not to know when an entire chapter of triads get taken down. From then on the families made sure to make a list of master martial artist and make sure that everyone knew who they were and to avoid them at all cost. But there is no way this slip of girl is the martial arts master that wiped out the Nerima chapter so harshly that they are only just now rebuilding even if she is glowing.

"Do you honestly expect me to believe that you're some kind of martials master….." grimy is unable to complete that or any other thought due to Ranma's massive glowing aura suddenly brightening and getting much, much hotter. Ranma grabs his forearm instantly causing grimy to scream in pain. Grimy is screaming and trying to pull away and break her grip all at same time. Which made him look just like a flailing fish. The rest of the group is just scared stupid and only watch this horror show.

A light high pitch voice break through the screams of grimy. "Big sis stop please! I don't like it when you're scary!"

Ranma dropped grimy on the ground when he starts to run Ranma forms a Ki ball pointed right at him.

"Kirin these are triads these are the same kind of people that hurt you and I'll never forgive them for it…"

"I know big sis, they hurt me but what I remember more than the pain, more than the fear. I remember you coming to rescue me. I remember you plowing through hundreds of bad guys and rescuing me. You were so kind, so gentle. You didn't make me go straight home like grandma ask. I ask you to let me see mom and dad and you let me, when I begged not be left alone you stayed you were more than my hero, more than a big sister or brother, you were my guardian angel. That's who you are in my eyes big sis, please, please don't change that." Ranma's aura slowly changes from angry red to pink then white. Ranma dissipates her Ki ball and holds out her hand gesturing for Kirin to come to her. Ami lets her loose Kirin runs to Ranma who picks her straight up and wipes the tears off her cheeks.

"I'll never forgive them for what they did but if tell me not to hurt them I won't. I'll leave it up to you. Do want me to let them go?"

Grimy still horrible pain from his burns and scared for his life, he can't believe what he is hearing. His life is the hands of this child. If she gives the word he's dead.

Kirin was very young but not innocent, not any more. Not since the triads kidnapped her and tried to use her as leverage against her grandmother. Ranma rescued her took her to her parents grave because she asked, stayed with her until she was done. Even though she didn't have too, Ranma tried to cheer her up. Ranma took her to an ice cream store and coached her on 'cute' discounts and it was fun. When she still felt a little unsafe away from Ranma and ask her to stop in park for a least a few minutes. Ranma took the opportunity to practice her martial arts and to Kirin it was like watching an angle unfold her wings. Ranma was grace and power, speed and accuracy, kindness and vengeance. Kirin remembered all this as soon as grimy mentioned he was a triad and righteous fury burned in her soul to hurt them the way they had hurt her parents, her grandmother and herself. Then see saw Ranma's face and how anger had twisted it. The worst part was Ranma was angry for her, for what they did to her and her family. She would release her hate and her anger not for her benefit but for Ranma. Ranma would destroy them on her word she was sure of it, Ranma always kept her word after all. But destroying them would destroy Ranma as well, the part of Ranma that made her special.

"Let them go big sis, there not worth it." Not worth you.

Ranma hugs her tight and puts her down. She runs to Kimi who immediately wraps her up in a tight hug and whispers. "I'm proud of you." In her ear.

"Now let me tell you how this is going to go." Ranma says throwing Ki into her voice to give it more authority. "You are going get on your knees and apologize to everyone at this table for ruining our nice day. Also you will spread the word that this park is off limits. One more thing", Ranma gets up in grimy's face and talks low enough that the table can't hear. "If you or anybody even remotely associated with the triads makes that girl cry again", Ranma says pointing to Kirin, "I will come down on you and entire organization so hard you will beg for cops to arrest you, but believe me when I say being in police custody will not stop me, nothing would." Ranma wrinkles her nose at strong smell of urine suddenly coming from grimy. Ranma grabs him by his shirt and tosses him to his friends which triggers their sudden and frenzied escape.

"Ranma are you okay?" Ami ask as she puts an arm around Ranma.

"Yeah, just lost my appetite." Ranma said

"Let's go home and have some tea to calm down. Come with us Kimi, Kirin looks like she needs a comfortable and safe place to calm down." And I want to know about what was going on here that almost seemed personal. Saeko thought.

"Thank you Saeko I think we need it."

They all walk home in silence just thinking about what a good day it was and how it just turned into one bad day. Thankfully the Mizuno's home wasn't far away. Kirin quickly fell asleep in her grandmothers comforting embrace, emotionally exhausted. Ami kept a worried eye on Ranma and Saeko was watching them all trying to figure what all that was about. As they walk in the door.

"Ami would mind laying Kirin on your bed I would like to talk to Kimi, please."

Saeko watches the girls go up the stairs and guides Kimi into the kitchen where she makes a calming pot of chamomile tea. She sets a large cup in front of Kimi and waits. She knows that Kimi will talk given time, what she didn't expect was the strong women she so admired to start crying uncontrollably. Saeko runs around the table to try and comfort the grieving women. After some much needed emotional purging Kimi says something.

"It's all my fault you know." She looks at Saeko with dead eyes.

"You can't mean that…" Saeko tries to say.

"You know the story we tell most everybody that Ranma saved Kirin from a stray dog?" Kimi interrupts.

"Yeah?" Saeko

"It's a lie! Ranma saved her from my stupidity! The police commissioners tried to warn me. The District attorney tried. My own daughter tried." She said with great bitterness. "But I wouldn't listen, I demanded we crack down hard on crime, but not on the common street criminals but on the source of crime. The yakuza. I pushed investigations on organized crime it was slow going but we finally made progress. First it was a few lieutenants then finally we got our big break. We had a chance to deal a deadly blow to the triads, take out all the family and lieutenants in one shot." She looks Saeko in the eyes and laughs a dead laugh. "It worked. We had them all in jail. But their underlings wouldn't take that laying down. They moved quickly just hours after the arrest I got a note delivered to me by a personal carrier. It read, 'release the family or lose yours.' I was scared at first but I had confidence that the police would keep them safe. I was so very, very wrong. Six hours later as my beautiful daughter Tea', Kirin and her wonderful husband where leaving the market a box truck slammed into their car. Killing Tea' and John instantly. To think I actually said to Tea' that a 400 dollar car seat was excessive. But a cheaper one would never have saved Kirin's life. She got out with nothing but a few scratches on her legs."

"Oh God." Saeko tries her best to hug the pain of the memories away. The normally stoic women accepts the comfort readily.

"I had lost my only child and her husband and was now responsible for my granddaughter but I was in the right and refused to back down. I also saw it as making them pay for what they did. I was the fools fool. I went to work a week later and while I was gone a group of men broke in my house beat the nanny and kidnapped Kirin. Another personal carrier came to my office at noon. He brought a small padded envelope and left. I opened it and a small throw away cell phone fell out. I was confused then it started ringing. I answered and heard something that still haunts nightmares. Kirin was screaming her lungs out then it suddenly stopped and I knew fear. I screamed Kirin's name over and until a man's voice finally came on the phone. He said release the family and Kirin wouldn't be hurt further then hung up. I don't know how long I sat their staring at that stupid phone. I couldn't lose her, she is all the family I had left. I made the calls and saw the people I needed to get the charges against leaders of the triads dropped. Nobody said it but I saw 'I told so' written all over their faces. But I also knew I couldn't trust the triads one bit. I had heard rumors of a Martial Arts Master living in Nerima and I set out to find him and get help, I didn't care if I had to beg him. Imagine my surprise when I was directed by the local cops to the high school. I walked slowly up to the back of the school where the cops told me Ranma would meet me.

Ami takes great care not to disturb Kirin as she lays her in her bed and pulls her quilt over her. Ami quietly closes her door and peaks into Ranma's room to see her sitting on the bed staring into space. Ami sits next to her and grabs one of her hands and gently ask.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Do you want to know how I meet them?" Ami just nods yes and uses her other hand to rub Ranma's back. Ranma makes a humorless laugh. "I thought I was having bad day, a high school students' bad day. Which means nothing really. Then I got a message from Nabiki to meet someone behind the school. Usually it was a cop that needed help with a case or just a citizen that needed help with a gang. Most of it was fun and helped people so I didn't mind. But this day I saw an older lady and she was crying and I knew something was up. She told me how she had pushed the triads to the limit and they finally pushed back. They killed her daughter and her son in law but by some incredible luck Kirin survived. But Kimi still wouldn't budge. So they kidnapped Kirin. They had already hurt her, dislocated her shoulder when they grabbed her of course I didn't know that yet, wish that was all they did. Kimi told me that thanks to their efforts the triads only had two safe houses left, I got lucky and picked the right one first. I never planned to confront them, I used my thief's cloak to sneak in and searched for her all over. It took a while I was almost ready to go to the other place, but I finally found her in a tiny tornado shelter built into the basement. They had a man guarding the door so I started to go through the vent. I was halfway their when I heard, I heard her say the prayer." Ranma was miserable and on the edge of breaking down but Ami didn't understand what she meant by prayer.

"What prayer Ranma?"

"The prayer I made in the pit." That was all Ranma needed to say. They had pretty good access to each other's memories but they had to concentrate on them and they didn't come as naturally as their own. Ami had seen those twice now and that was plenty. They were not something you poked casually with a stick. But for Ranma's sake Ami opened herself to the darkness to see what Ranma saw. A vision opened it self before her, she sees two young children close to the same age. One a boy, one a girl. Both are bound hand and foot lying in darkness. The boy covered in burning scratches and bites lay in a dirt pit. The girl covered in bruises from beatings laying on cold uncaring concrete. Both were crying for their moms to save them, as time passed they cried for anybody to save them. As they got colder and the tears dried up They spoke softly almost as one, "God please make the pain go away, please God make it stop. I don't care anymore if I have die, just make it stop. I guess I'm not worth saving anyway." Ami felt the anger and rage of both Ranma and the cat fist. This was the first time Ranma was able to bring together both parts of herself/himself. The blind rage of seeing another child endure the same pain, suffering and loneliness, broke Ranma. The cat fist unleashed and Ami watched through Ranma's memories as a tornado made of furious retribution tore through triads. Ranma never killed any of men outright, but most wished they were dead, some would die if medical treatment wasn't applied soon. More than thirty men lay broken and bloody as Ranma walks slowly to the door that holds Kirin. He opens it and Ami wants to hurl, the cute girl she just recently got to know was lying in a puddle of her own excrement. Her hair matted with blood and sweat and who knows. Ami could barely recognize her. Her face was swollen with bruises and cuts. It was obvious one man wore a ring. The once yellow sundress was barely hanging onto her tiny frame by threads. Ranma barley extended a tiny claw cutting the binds on her feet and hands. Kirin makes no acknowledgment that anybody is there. Ranma gingerly picks her up and takes her to a bathroom he saw earlier. Ranma lays her on a towel while she makes Kirin a hot bath. When it's full enough Ranma slowly lowers her into the water. Ranma left what was left of her clothes on her. He didn't know how Kirin would react to him trying to undress her. Ranma wets her hair and tries to wash it. After the third rinse Ranma hears sniffle from Kirin, a sniffle turns into tears, tears quickly evolved into full blown wailing. Ranma simply held her while she cried and cried. Once the tears where exhausted Ranma was getting unsure of what to do next, he was just running on instinct until now. When Ranma heard,

"The waters cold." He knew things were going to be, well not ok but better.

Just because she suffered like I did doesn't mean she has to continue to suffer like I did. I'm going to protect you Kirin, forever I promise. Ranma swears to herself.

The memories fade from Ami's vision to see Ranma's worried face.

"I'm proud of you Ranma." Ami says with conviction.

"You're not mad, you don't want me to leave." Ranma ask shyly.

"What! No! Why would I want that!?" Ami wonders where Ranma is coming from.

"I broke the code of bushido, I attacked men in a dishonorable fashion. I hurt men that were already out the fight, I fought in anger and I, and I wanted to kill."

"Ranma those were hardly honorable men. As for hurting them and wanting to kill them. Ranma **I** wanted to hurt them. These were horrible, despicable people. Honestly you handled this better than I probably would have. If it was up to me I would shoved an ice sword somewhere unpleasant."

"heh, Thanks for not thinking I'm dishonorable."

"Ranma you have got to ask yourself one thing. Even if you had killed some of those guys, would saving Kirin had been worth it?"

Ranma gets a steely look in her eyes. "Yes!"

"Good I think so too. So what happened next?"

"I ran some fresh water for her and asked if she ok to wash herself she said she was. I left the clothes Kimi sent as well. I guess she knew she'd need them. It took a while but she came out looking a million times better. What surprised me is that when she came out she begged me to take her to her parent's grave. I agreed we went and she said her prayers and cried some. I wanted to cheer her up so took her to an ice cream parlor. I was going to use my secret discount of course…"

Ami rolls her eyes. "Of course."

"So I splash myself not thinking. I was so worried about what she would think, would she be scared, worried, think I was a freak. But she just looked at me and looked confused until she gets a big sparkly expression. She gives me a big hug and calls me Angel-sama. Until that moment I hadn't realized I never introduced myself. I kept trying to tell her I wasn't an Angel but you know how it is when a little kid gets something in their head. But anyway I taught her my secret ice cream getting technique and I finally got to see her smile. After that I took her to the park because the train we needed wouldn't come by for about an hour. Where she saw me do my martial arts which she still calls dancing."

"Ranma?" Ami says as she looks at Ranma again for the first time. Seeing the wonderful person she likes take such wonderful care of a young child in need. Ranma who has all that power and constantly worries if she/he was too excessive in force. Ami wasn't sure before but now she knows now with crystal clarity that she loves Ranma and that she would do anything to protect him/her. Just as she knows with absolute certainty Ranma would move heaven and earth for her, and Ranma being Ranma would probably figure a way to do just that.

"Yeah Ami?"

"Don't change."

"Huh?"

Downstairs

"Ranma somehow being Ranma cheered Kirin up after that. When I saw them getting off the train Ranma was holding her hand and Kirin was looking up at Ranma smiling. After all the horrible things that happened Ranma had her smiling. I ran to them and grabbed Kirin in the tightest hug I could ever give. I ruined Ranma's efforts a little by crying and causing Kirin to cry with me. As she starts to walk away I grab her hand thank her over and over again. She tells me no thanks needed and I get the wrong impression. I say to her.

"Of, of course Ranma. Like I said earlier anything you ask is yours. What do you want?" Then she looks confused for a second.

"Anything?" Ranma confirms.

"Yes anything." I was getting scared at this point. What would a martial artist like Ranma want? Money? Political favors? Multiple get out jail free cards? I was sweating bullets by the time Ranma made up her mind.

"I want to visit Kirin to make sure she is doing ok. I want to know she is staying safe. I want to know as soon you have any trouble like this in the future. But more than anything I want Kirin to be happy." That was it. That was all she wanted. Ranma kept her word to he/she dropped in at random intervals to check on Kirin they would play. Kirin would always look forward to seeing Ranma. You know it took Ranma a long time to get Kirin to stop calling him/her Angel-sama but I think she was right, they do say kids can see things adults cannot. Sorry to dump this on you Saeko but seeing those guys tonight brought it all back for me and Kirin. To think the only reason we never heard from the triads again is because they were afraid of Ranma."

"It's not a problem Kimi, you and Kirin are welcome here anytime and please do visit often. Ranma and Ami both enjoyed playing with Kirin, plus she is adorable." Saeko leans forward and whispers in Kimi's ear. "Just between us I agree with you Ranma is definitely an angel. Ranma was a life saver when Ami had trouble with her friends, sensed a demon no knew was there and nearly died to try and kill it."

Saeko and Kimi talk the night away comparing notes on everything from parenting to tea to the latest political infighting. Both getting a much needed close confidant to relieve stress and blow off steam with. Saeko slept in her bed, Kimi insisted on the couch since it would be rude to kick Saeko from her own bed.

Ami slept in Ranma's bed since hers was occupied. Ranma took a futon on the floor.

Time gate

Setsuna sits reading the Encyclopedia Magicia trying to find the scrap of information she been looking for, for the last 3 hours. She was getting really miffed that the Silver Millennium, the greatest civilization to ever exist, didn't invent Google when suddenly a tiny time distortion wave washes over her. She completely ignores it, after all a distortion that small means that someone's destiny just changed slightly. Time was a harsh mistress but free will did count for something and while it didn't happen often she had seen it enough over the millennia that she didn't really care anymore.

Negaverse

Jadeite looks over his youma lieutenants with Malatif sitting at his right hand.

"Report, Vilet why the delays in youma production?" Vilet shakes in fear, she got promoted because the previous three youma that had this position have been 'retired'.

"Master we are making youma as fast possible with available resources. If we had just 10% more life force we can increase production almost 30%." Vilet waits for 'retirement'. Jadeite does flare his power in rage for a moment before calming himself.

"Monet! You're in charge of life force distribution, anyway we get more to youma production." Jadeite demands.

Monet the very picture of a female accountant with her long hair in a bun, wearing a very nice skirt suite and fine glasses. Her only defining youma feature is her ocean blue skin and black eyes. "At current rate we are collecting life force master, I see no way to sustain current forces, power facilities, maintain open portals to the earth realm and build more youma without more incoming life force. In fact I project in three weeks we will reach critical levels of life force, meaning we will have more youma then we can sustain." Monet sets back down without a worry in the world. After all she was a logistics youma, no matter how evil, how crazy, a maniacal ruler always knows they need somebody to oversee their evil empire run all mundane day to day things. Be it organizing the army, keeping track of empire expenses or keeping track of whatever resource they needed for their diabolical plans. She was very secure in her position, after all she was here when it was Queen Beryl and Queen Metaria before that and what's his face before that. Life is good for an evil accountant. Her reflections are shattered by her current master slamming his fist on the table.

"Our invasion force won't be ready in three weeks, will it Malatif?"

"No Master. At current production we need at least four and half weeks to gather the force we wanted to take to earth." Malatif stated flatly.

Jadeite lets out a low growl. "Can we place anymore collectors in Tokyo covertly?"

Malatif shakes her head. "No master we purposely avoided areas where the Senshi are known to be and areas where that Ki adept are known to be. If we go to these places we risk discovery and failure with the loss of a collector and youma, not very appealing."

"The cost to move the general area in which our gates open is far too prohibitive as well." Jadeite thinks out loud.

"I have a plan." Speaks a tiny voice. Malatif looks around to see who spoke. It becomes immediately obvious as most of the youma have their heads down and actively try to avoid drawing attention to themselves, they live longer that way. But this tiny youma and her group have broken all the rules, no not rules per se. just expectations of what a youma is supposed to do, to get to the table of lieutenants. She and the other accidents immediately after being born start killing their fellow youma to move up through the ranks, which is every youma's right. But most gain strength slowly and wait years before making their first move. Also while it is not uncommon for youma to make allies, she and the nine others have been together since being born. Malatif couldn't pin it down but something was very off with those 10 and just being 'defects' doesn't cut it for her. Something is very, very off about them.

Jadeite looks with a dead eyed expression at this new tiny youma that killed her way to his table. He to, was suspicious of her quick rise through the ranks but if she truly was a defect they really needed more like her. He looks where her face should be, since he can't see it for the hooded cloak she wears. "It better be good or you die." He states matter of factly.

"Of course, Master" the way she said master made it sound like an insult. "That is our way after all. My idea is so simple that even Malatif should be able to pull it off." Malatif growls at the insult. "We place collectors at the edge of the docks where ships come ago and are unloaded. Once there, we set them on level two collection. Any fatigue felt by travelers would be brushed off as tiredness from traveling and would end once out of range. The workers would just say it was a bad night's sleep or all the overtime. We could do the same thing at the airports. With hundreds of thousands of people passing through both places every few days plus the workers. We would have more than enough energy. Plus the docks and airport are far away from the known activity area for the Senshi and Ki users."

Jadeite stares at the unmoving hood of the tiny youma to see if she flinches. After she stays unmoved he ratchets up some respect for her and makes a mental note to watch her and his back. He knew one would appear sooner or later. A youma with enough ambition to want to go to the top, undoubtedly one day she would try and kill him. But until then youma like that were always extremely useful. "I like your plan and I assume you want your team to execute it?"

"Of course Master." Their it was again, the insulting inflection. "Even the best plans can fail because of incompetence in execution. I'd rather my team fail trying than someone else fail purposely and call it a bad plan."

"Bold statement from an untested youma. What is your name girl?" Jadeite ask.

"Uratoh."

"Oh, odd name for a youma." Malatif tries to bait her.

"It's a name." she states flatly.

"Your team may go Uratoh, be warned do not underestimate the Senshi or the Ki users and if you fail or slip up even a tiny bit your all dead. Punishment for speaking out of turn, but succeed and we can overlook it this time."

"Of course, Master." This time the word master was definitely an insult and if anyone could see under the hood followed with a feral grin.

"Dismissed." Jadeite ends the meeting and many youma flee the room as quickly as possible only taking time to spare a dirty look for the new tiny youma. Who still sat quietly in her chair waiting for the commotion to die down before she leaves.

Malatif follows Jadeite through his private exit into the throne room. She waits for Jadeite to get settled before she brings up her concerns.

"Master, are you sure its…okay to give such an important mission to a bunch trouble makers?"

"Absolutely, think about it Malatif, if they fail, the Senshi or Ki users took care of the trouble makers for us, if they succeed we get the energy we need and they get an even bigger ego and when they make they make their first mistake I destroy them. Win, win. Now get those Tokyo maps you acquired on your last trip I want to go over some things.

Uratoh watches Jadeite and Malatif exit into the throne room and decides to make her own exit. As she passes through the doorway she is stopped by an older youma she never bothered to learn the name of.

"What do think you are? Getting so uppity in the presence of Master Jadeite? Learn your place newbie, or else."

Uratoh drops her hood and her deep violet eyes almost shine in the poorly lit hallway, she looks directly into the older youma's eyes and ask flatly. "Or else what?"

"You cheeky brat you know what I mean." The youma growls.

"No, show me or has age increased your cowardice along with your wrinkles." The older youma starts her transformation from humanoid form to demon form to increase her power but she suddenly stops as a flash of reflection is all the other youma see before the other youma starts to fall into two separate sections divided right down the middle before busting into youma dust.

"Anybody else want to remind me of my place?" She ask the youma loitering the hall watching the spectacle. Not surprising they all scatter weather quickly except for the well respected and ancient Monet. Monet walks toward her with an odd look on her face, Uratoh is unsure what to make of it. Better to not make an enemy of such an ancient youma just yet. So she walks up and tilts her head slightly and greets her.

"Monet." Monet returns her respect with a head tilt.

"Uratoh. May I ask a moment of your time?"

"Of course, can we walk and talk it's a considerable walk to my quarters."

"You are quite the enigma, you know that don't you. You take the lieutenant position, but not privilege, just the power. You constantly disrespect Malatif but always fall short of challenging her. You kill all who challenge you but after attaining lieutenant you stopped challenging. You have your nine allies but refuse any further alliances or allies." Monet was making her nervous she didn't want to fight her, no one knew exactly how old she was but it was a fact the older a youma the stronger she was.

"Is there a question there, because I missed it?" Uratoh ask.

"No. Just saying all the things that intrigue me about you which is saying something, seeing as I'm thousands of years old." Monet states with a twinge of excitement.

"Glad I could keep you entertained." Uratoh deadpans.

"However I AM old enough to know for a fact that you and your friends are no simple defects. What are you?" Monet is impressed that Uratoh doesn't flinch but her steps shorten by centimeters showing apprehension.

"I am nothing but…"

"Let me cut you off there." Monet says as grabs Uratoh by the throat quicker than she can react and slams her into the wall hard enough to spider web it around her. Monet also quickly grabs the mini pole arm hidden under her cloak and tosses it down the hall. "Now you tell what you are and satisfy my curiosity or I can kill you and I'll find you're nine other friends I'm sure one of them will tell me eventually. If it helps any I promise not to tell Jadeite anything. Will you talk?" Uratoh nods as best she can.

Monet drops her to the floor and waits patiently for Uratoh to catch her breath. "Before I say anything why would you not share this with Jadeite?" Uratoh ask breathing heavy.

"Do you not remember, I said I'm thousands of years old. I have served many masters in my time. Some have come close to their goal others where lightyears from ever reaching it. I'm experienced enough to know Jadeite will make a nice showing, hell, he might even kill one or two of the heroes if he gets lucky but he will be defeated in the end." Monet lectures like a history teacher. "If you're satisfied now tell me WHAT. ARE. YOU?"

Unable to delay further Uratoh just nods, "To be honest we aren't sure ourselves, but the best we can come up with is 'leftovers'." Uratoh spits out bitterly.

Monet looks entirely confused. "What do you mean 'leftovers?"

Uratoh takes a deep breath. "We, all of us, used to be a part of living breathing being on earth. We have memories of living on earth, eating, sleeping, dreaming going to school. But all of our memories end at the same place, a temple in Tokyo. The beings we were a part of, somehow used to ceremony to shed us like old skin, or dirt and just left us. We were fading and scared when suddenly we sensed an abundance of life force being drawn to a point. We followed it hoping it might sustain us. When we got to it we suddenly ended up here, with physical bodies again that weren't perfect but did resemble our originals."

Monet smiles a wide smile that seems too big for her face. "You're not youma at all and you don't give a shit about gathering force do you?"

Uratoh prepares for death as she answers. "No, we are going to take revenge on those that abandoned us and take our lives back."

"I see." Monet grins even bigger. She walks over to where she tossed Uratoh's weapon she picks it up and tosses it to her. "Good luck." She starts to walk off.

"Wait! You're not going to kill me? Or tell Jadeite!?" Uratoh ask shocked.

Monet stops and looks at her like she's stupid. "And ruin this fine entertainment? I have watched the battle between good and evil play out dozens of times it's gotten so boring, so predictable. You are new, different, a brand new player. Now there's good", she holds up her right palm. "Evil." She holds up her left palm. "And then there's theirs you." She points at her with both hands and walks away cackling like a mad woman.

Uratoh shakes her head puts her weapon away as she runs to the others. She's not taking the word of a mad youma at face value she and the others are leaving NOW. Watch out betrayers we are coming.

Home of Sally and Hinge Honda

Sally has watched her daughter mope around for the last two days and was getting sick of it.

"Nodoka!"

"Yes Mother."

"Let's go sit on the back porch."

"umm ok."

They settle down in nice chairs Sally and Hinge placed back their so they wouldn't have to sit porch itself.

"What is it you wanted mother?"

"Nodoka, it would be nice if you just called me mom once in a while. But were not here to talk about that. I know we never have talked much and that a great part of that was my fault, I didn't take seriously the amount teasing or trouble it caused you being part american and I'm sorry. I wasn't the best mother and I'm sorry about that too. As I've gotten older I've realized that the number of regrets I have, have become… staggering. When you called us for the first time in years, I couldn't waste the one time you reached out to us. Because I was afraid it might never happen again. I know I didn't ask this enough when you were a girl but what's bothering you, you can tell me."

Nodoka looks shocked that her mother would admit that any of the problems they had might have been her fault, not only that but she addresses many of the things that they have argued about every day since she was a teen.

"Actually Mom," Nodoka tries to be less formal, if her mom was going offer an olive branch she would try too. "The therapist ask I think about how I personally define love. He said that it means a little something different to everybody and I should think about what it really means to me. The thing is it's been two days I don't have an honest answer.

Sally takes a deep breath to continue.

"Whew, that's a tough one. Dr. Honzo sure don't pull any punches does she? Yeah, I have been going to therapist as well, for a while now actually. I wanted to rebuild a relationship with you honey. Damn it all though, I see you and what's the first thing I do? Start old arguments right back up. I'm sorry and hope we can start over. I'll help you anyway I can honey but this is one of those things you have to answer yourself."

"Thanks mom. I think this has been a great first step actually."

Ryozanpaku

All of the masters of Ryozanpaku sit sweaty and out of breath around a low table with a tea set on it. The smell of stout earl grey wafting out from it. All of the masters are far too exhausted to even try and serve the tea and sit around waiting for some of their strength to return. Carter is the first to regain some semblance normal breathing.

"I guess I'll be the one to bring it up since no else seems to want too. You need to do something about our student Misty."

Misty gets a sour look on her face. "What do mean **I** need to do something, Carter?"

Carter squints his eyes in irritation. "Don't act all offended everyone here knows that she'll listen to you over all of us. You have bonded with her in a way none of the rest of us could and come on she even lives you. So give it a rest, are you going to say something to her or not. You involved her on the pretense of helping us train…."

Misty interrupts him here, "And has she not!? She has been a great help! Saenchai, Mikhail has she helped you?" Both men reluctantly nod their affirmative. "And has gotten in the way or hindered you in any?" again they reluctantly shake their heads in negative. "Then what's the problem?"

Carter explodes here. "You know damn well what the problem is Misty! She has gone far beyond helping since the second day! For God sakes look at her! She passed out hours ago! But with her muscle memory she's still punching the bag. Hell she's probably training in her sleep. She's got to slow to down or she'll die before the demons get here."

Quietly Misty says. "I know, I tried to respect her spirit and drive and respect her strength. But your right she is going too far. The most I'll be able to do is maybe get her to take the day off tomorrow."

"Can't stop her huh?"

Misty laughs a little. "No, do you think you could honestly stop her from training at this point."

Carter smiles a proud smile. "No probably not. Damn, we choose well." They all proudly agree on that.

Tendo Dojo

Happosai sits atop a passed out Genma smoking his pipe. "Passing out after only 30 straight hours of practice, pathetic. Well, we will work that, won't we boys." His only answer was the snoring of an overweight man.

Miyagi dojo

Kasumi and Ukyo are both sore and sweaty and smiling like fiends. Both bent over at the waist, resting on their knees.

Mr. Miyagi stands there in his gi, only sign of excertain is slight seen of sweat on forehead and a few stains and tears on his otherwise pristine gi.

"Had enough ladies?" Mr. Miyagi ask.

"Here that Kasumi? I think poor old Mr. Miyagi is too tired and wants us to quit." Ukyo tries to say with a straight face.

"Oh my! Poor Mr. Miyagi, Would you like me fetch your ben gay, a foot bath and dentures." Kasumi says.

"Alright, alright. That's what I get for trying to be nice, old people jokes. I'll go get some bottled water you girls take five."

Those girls are the best student I've ever had the pleasure of teaching. Mr. Miyagi thinks as he makes his way back to dojo with several bottles of water. As he goes to open the door there was several things he might have expected. That perhaps the girls went to sleep while resting. He wouldn't blame them if they did, or maybe to hear them talking about the recent training or the moves that were giving them trouble. Neither of these things greeted Mr. Miyagi as opened the door. No, what he saw where the ladies spending their break sparing each other, not light sparring either. When Kasumi blocked badly you could hear the harsh smack of flesh being abused. When Kasumi catches Ukyo out of position with a kick, it made even the battle hardened Mr. Miyagi flinch with sympathy. Mr. Miyagi sits in the observer area with a fierce pride in his eyes.

Tofu's Clinic

This is the third day that Ms. Montoya has come by the clinic to see Dr. Tofu and this is the third she's found it closed. Guess she'll have to see that stuck up Dr. Yamada about her sciatica. As she leaves she hears strange noises on the roof of clinic, sounds like construction, must be why he is closed.

Akari's pig farm

As one looked over the devastation it could only be described a ham-pocalypes, a pork-agedden. Ryoga is surrounded by knocked out sumo-pigs. He is breathing heavy and covered in sweat with an unhappy look on his face. Ryoga sees Akari watching from a safe distance.

"Have you gotten anymore weights for me to use while working out?"

"Yes, but this is the last set from last town close to us. You're going to have make do with this until we get a chance to make it to Tokyo."

"Thanks, Akari. These should be enough to slow me down until we make it to town again." Feeling bold he gives Akari a peck on the cheek and starts attaching the weights to ones he already wears and starting through all his katas again. Of course this made him completely miss the look of shock and love from Akari.

China

A white duck flies over the outskirts Joketsuzoku. Mousse flies just over people's heads barely able to keep from hitting some. Exhaustion was taking a toll over the duck boy. If he didn't find someone from the council soon he was going to pass out. Flying from Tokyo to the middle of china in just under 40 hours was pushing Mousse to the very extremes of his strength but if the demon incursion was as severe as the old ghoul was making it to be then it was in everybody's best interest that he deliver these scrolls as fast as possible. He was sure one was an order to mobilize forces for a demon war. But he wondered what the other scroll was for. His ruminations were interrupted by someone grabbing him by the neck.

"If I'm not mistaken your supposed to be coming back with Matriarch Cologne and her granddaughter. So what are doing here by yourself? Hmm?"

'Oh good. Councilwomen Spritz. Just wish she wasn't strangling me.' Since she had him by the throat he couldn't make much noise not that that would very be very helpful since he was a duck anyhow. Spritz starts walking toward the council building probably wanting him to make a report in front of them about where Cologne and Shampoo are. Spritz never misses an opportunity to try and make Cologne look bad. He don't know what went down between them but the whole village knew that there was bad blood there.

Spritz marches threw the doors with purpose and self-satisfaction knowing that this will make Matriarch Cologne look so bad. Cologne and Shampoo not returning while sending back Mousse. She couldn't help but chuckle to herself. Maybe she'll finally get the council to name HER Matriarch after Shampoo's failure to get the Saotome boy, and by extension Cologne's failure and now this! Spritz marches into the meeting chamber and slams the door overdramatically to get everyone's attention.

"Everyone I present Mou Sue he was with Matriarch Cologne's party in Japan attempting to retrieve Shampoo's husband. However the Matriarch has seen fit to send Mou Sue back alone. I think we should hear his testimony on why the Matriarch and Shampoo stays in Japan when her last letter says they were returning." She tosses Mousse onto the makeshift witness stand/ podium and tosses Councilwomen Bra's tea on him. Which earns her a nasty look from Bra for wasting her favorite tea.

Mousse dresses himself quickly with a spare robe from his hidden weapons space and clears his throat speaking in front of the council was never a pleasure on a good day. However this was worse Spritz had already aggravated Bra, and all of Matriarch Cologne's allies by trying to make her look bad and now he was going to make her look a fool. Great just can't win, this will definitely make an enemy of Spritz. He takes a deep a brewth, might as well get this over with.

"Thank you for bringing to the council Spritz, with the mission Matriarch sent me on it was imperative that get here as soon as possible." Spritz's face got awfully sour looking awful fast. "The Matriarch ordered me to bring these two scrolls to the council as quickly as possible, and ordered me under threat of pain that I deliver them straight to the council." He sets both scrolls on a table in front of Bra. "If I may dismissed, that would be wonderful I flew in here in 40 hours and am quit tired."

Comb an amazon known for her brilliant mind and perfect memory also one of the youngest members of the council speaks up at this point. "I would like to ask a couple questions real quick Mousse, then you may rest. Do you know what is on the scrolls and do you know what prompted the Matriarch to send you with such urgency?"

Mousse really, really wanted to rest but you don't just refuse a council member. "No ma'am I don't have a clue what lay on the scrolls. But I do know that the demon incursion in Tokyo upset the Matriarch greatly. Shampoo and I both where late getting to the battle so I don't know exactly what transpired but I did feel the threat from over 5 miles away and my Ki sense isn't usually that strong."

"Thank you Mousse you may go rest now." Comb wandered if the rest of the council was as disturbed as she was at that last part.

Once Mousse left the chambers Bra stood and asked the guards and session recorders to leave and lock the door behind them. Bra looked at both scrolls and noticed they were numbered, so she started with number one. She immediately recognized the mystical seals Cologne used and dispersed those first before breaking the wax seal. She unrolled the scroll and used her Ki enhanced voice to make everyone heard and read the scroll word for word.

 _First my apologies for sending such an important message with a junior member of the tribe but he is quicker than me and Shampoo in duck form._

 _Now to why I had him fly nonstop back to china, our most ancient enemy, the youma demons, are organized and once again attacking humanity. I was fast to the battle and saw the forces arrayed against us more than fifty demons of varying sizes and powers attacked down town Tokyo. The invading horde was destroyed by nine magical girls and a permanent ally of my house, Ranma Saotome. It was a mighty battle, Ranma and the girls after a surprise attack went on the defensive. A risky speed attack finally changed the odds in their favor. But it was still close, the final demon took all magical attacks the girls offered and still fought. It was Ranma who finally took the demon out but it cost him all of his Ki in the process. Although extremely worrying the sheer number of demons wasn't the worst part. It was the fact that the demons where purposely attracting Ki users to the battle. The number of Ki users in Japan is much higher than we have ever thought. They used some kind of horrid tainted Ki to drive us Ki users into battle. Thankfully the first thing the girls destroyed was the source of the tainted Ki. Had they not, the battle would have joined been joined by a bunch of berserking Ki masters and the demons would have had exactly what they wanted._

 _Our worst enemy is powerful, organized and plotting against us. That is why I immediately call for a vote of war against the demons. I will cast my vote in absentia for war. Before you vote I want you to remember one thing what is the first group we send in, the scouts or the army?"_

Comb finishes reading and looks up to the rest of fellow council members. All but one are holding their staffs if old enough or their spears above their head already. Which is the ancient symbol for battle or war. Comb makes it official by saying the traditional war cry of the Amazons since ancient's times.

"Ours Gods in heaven the Amazons go to war this day, please have mercy for our enemies for we only have spears and rage." The councilors answer with the traditional spear bashing and battle cries. The tribe will know by now what is going on. Before we officially tell the rest of the tribe let's see what else the Matriarch has sent us." She opens the seals on this scroll as well and unrolls it. There is but a single line written on it, with a high quality picture taped to the scroll. Comb's voice breaks with emotion as she reads it. "The princess is reborn." She holds the picture up for the rest of the council to see their gasp all the room. Some of ladies breakdown in tears, some say prayers others start celebrating. Their time is at finally at hand, their princess has finally returned to them.

I'd like to say sorry to all my readers first off for the long delay. But my hard drive crashed on my computer and being the fool I am I kept no separate backups of my story, character sheets, and story outline. So that was very, very, very soul crushing. I'm still remaking my character sheets and tried to remake my story outline from memory but my wonderful readers if you would point out any inconstancies or anything like that I'd thank you and try to fix it with future updates. But now that I have everything mostly back in order I'd like to get back to posting a chapter a week or close to it. Thank you everyone for your patience and thank you for reading.


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